Dominate starts to the mid quarters Saturday afternoon in Liberal led the Barton Community College women's basketball team to a blowout 77-48 victory at Seward County Community College.
Trailing by one entering the second quarter, the Cougars opened the frame on a 14-0 run to lead by ten at the halftime break before scoring the opening 18 points out of the locker room in cruising to the victory.
Winning their second straight at The Greenhouse for the first time dating back to the 1992 season, Barton concludes the pre-holiday break schedule at 5-2 in conference play and 9-3 overall while dropping Seward County to 2-4 in league and 5-4 on the season.
Following the break, Barton gets back in action with a pair of home games beginning Wednesday, January 3rd hosting Coffeyville Community College followed by a Saturday non-conference contest versus North Dakota State College of Science.
The Cougars drained a season high eleven three-pointers going 11-of-18 beyond the arc on their 54% overall shooting afternoon.
Vivian Onugha posted her second straight and 5th double-double of the year in leading Barton with 14 points and 12 rebounds helping the squad to a plus-12 advantage on the glass.
Tatum Boettjer and Grace John each had 13 points on a combined 5-of-9 beyond the arc with John knocking down 3-of-4 and Boettjer going 2-of-5.
One of Barton's treys came from an unlikely source in Vera Ojenuwa as the freshman canned her first collegiate long ball in the opening quarter. The triple was followed by John's initial three-ball helping Barton break away from a one point lead to a seven point early advantage.
Ojenuwa finished 7-of-11 from the field for 11 points, 4 rebounds, and a team leading two steals.
Scoring nine of her 11 points in second half action, Quezia Bertoni recorded her first collegiate double-double by adding a career high 10 rebounds while flirting with a triple-double as the KJCCC's leading distributor recorded 7 assists along with a steal and block.
As five starters were in double figures for the second straight game, the Cougars also got 15 points off the bench in part from 4-of-6 long distance shooting. Emma Toombs tied a career high 9 points on 2-of-4 arc shooting with Brittany Simpson's perfect 2-of-2 long distance shooting added 6 points.
Seward County shot just 21.5% on the day, 7-of-22 from long distance led by Naomi Aragonez 2-of-3 beyond the arc to lead the Saints with 10 points.
SERIES NOTES:
- Second straight meeting Barton has held Seward County to 48 total points
- Barton's second straight win 20+ win against the Saints
- Barton's largest win in the series since 1992 (38 points)
- Largest margin of victory since Seward County won by 35 in 2017-18 season
- Barton's second straight win in Liberal – first time since 1992 when Barton had won eight straight on Seward County's home floor
- Seward County leads the series 30-18 in Liberal
- Barton leads the overall series 52-49