A strong start put the Barton Community College women's basketball team in the driver's seat all evening long as the Cougars never trailed in Tuesday's 67-43 quarterfinal round victory hosting Coffeyville Community College.
Advancing to the Region VI semifinals for the sixth consecutive season, the now 22-9 fourth seeded Cougars will meet the nation's top ranked and 31-0 Hutchinson Community College on the Blue Dragons' home floor on Friday in a 1:00 p.m. tip-off. The fifth seeded Red Ravens have their season come to an end at 20-12.
In Friday's other semifinal action, 2nd seeded and 17th ranked Dodge City Community College and 3rd seeded Butler Community College play at 5:30 p.m. with the victors advancing to Saturday's 3:00 p.m. Championship to earn an automatic national tournament bid.
The Cougars got off to a great start to alleviate any post-season nerves by scoring the final seven points of the opening frame for a 16-3 lead before stretching it to eighteen points midway through the second for an eventual thirteen point advantage at the halftime break.
Tacking on another seven to its lead in the third, Barton never allowed Coffeyville to come within single digits in riding out its largest and final margin of 24 points with eighty-four seconds remaining posting its largest win of the series since 2008.
Barton connected on 50% of their shots and forced 18 Red Raven turnovers for a 26-point differential as four Cougars reached double-figure scoring.
Vera Ojenuwa led the way with 15 points and 7 rebounds as Quezia Bertoni pieced an all-round game of 12 points, 7 assists, and a game high 6 of the Cougars' 13 steals.
Grace John led the arc attack on 3-of-6 shooting for 11 points with Tatum Boettjer sinking 2-of-7 beyond the arc moving into a third place tie with 82 made threes in a season.
The KJCCC final Player of the Week honoree Vivian Onugha posted the game's lone double-double in scoring 10 points with 11 rebounds for her 13th of the year.
Coming off the bench for the final time at the Barton Gym, McKenna Vogl added 8 points on 4-of-6 shooting while fellow sophomore Darby Smith drained her final Fleske Court arc buster accounting for 5 points.
Nine players scored for the Red Ravens, led by Ivy Fox' 8 points followed by Jae'Mya Lyons' 7 points and team leading 5 rebounds.
SERIES NOTES:
- Teams split the two regular season meetings, each winning on their home floor
- Barton has won 10-of-the-last-13 meetings and 7-of-the-last-8 at the Barton Gym
- Barton's largest margin of victory since 2008
- Barton leads the series 23-4 at the Barton Gym
- Barton leads the overall series 36-15
Record Book Watch
Tatum Boettjer
- 82 made three pointers in a season – *Tied 3rd most with Mallory Miller (2017-18) – 9 behind Ipek Turkyilmaz (2007-08) – 1 behind Sonja Swopes (1993-94)
- 231 attempted three pointers in a season - *3rd most - passed Morgan Meyers (2022-23) and Sonja Swopes (1993-94) – 6 behind Ipek Turkyilmaz (2007-08)
Quezia Bertoni
- 83.3% free throw shooting – 1st in single season with 75 minimum attempts