A nine point lead eight minutes into Saturday evening's contest was countered with a cold shooting twenty minutes sending the Barton Community College women's basketball team to a 57-39 loss to top ranked Hutchinson Community College.
Barton grew its lead as the Blue Dragons got off to a 1-of-10 shooting first frame, the lone bucket coming on a banked in three-pointer, holding Hutchinson to its worst opening half of the season but finding itself trailing by four at the break as the middle twenty minutes turned the tide. Barton made just 5 of their 31 shots in the second and third quarters combined while Hutchinson outscored the Cougars by twenty before tacking on another five to it margin in the fourth frame to snap a three-game losing streak at the Barton Gym.
Despite the loss falling to 15-8 in league and 20-9 overall, Barton stays locked into the fourth spot for the approaching region playoffs with Hutchinson improving to 23-0 and 29-0 on the year.
The Cougars turn focus to its regular season finale Tuesday at Colby Community College for a 5:30 p.m. tip-off in vying to snap its two-game slide to nationally ranked opponents before having a week off in hosting a quarterfinal post-season contest on Tuesday, March 12.
Shooting a season second worst 29.8% for not only a season low output but fewest points in the series history, Barton had just two players in double figures being led by the 13th double-double performance from Vivian Onugha on 11 points and 13 rebounds. Quezia Bertoni added 10 points with Grace John contributing 8 points and a team high 6 assists.
Hutchinson finished at just 37.5% from the field in recovering from the dismal start with two reaching double figures. Connecting on four of the Blue Dragons' eleven three-pointers, Kiki Smith led with 14 points with Monae Duffy adding 11 points and a team game high tying 7 rebounds.
SERIES NOTES:
- Lowest combined score since January 22, 2003 (82 points)
- Just 2nd time the teams combined for under 100 points
- Hutchinson snapped a three-game losing streak at the Barton Gym
- Hutchinson has won 5 of the last 6 in the series
- Barton leads the series 31-19 at the Barton gym
- Barton leads the overall series 57-46
Record Book Watch
Tatum Boettjer
- 78 made three pointers in a season – *Tied 5th most with Morgan Meyers (2022-23) and Ipek Turkyilmaz (2006-07) – 3 behind Sonja Swopes (1993-94)
- 218 attempted three pointers in a season - *5th most – 9 behind Morgan Meyers (2022-23) and Sonja Swopes (1993-94)