Rinse and repeat for the Barton Community College women's basketball team as the Cougars again rallied from a second half deficit to win by eleven Wednesday night at the Barton Gym 77-68 over Pratt Community College.
Holding off Pratt in a bid for third place of the Jayhawk West, Barton improves to 9-6 in the league and 13-11 overall. The loss slides the Beavers into the fifth standing at 7-8 and 13-11 on the year.
The Cougars' next game is also against an opponent chasing them for the third spot as Barton travels to Dodge City Community College on Saturday for a 1:00 p.m. tip at the Student Activities Center.
The teams combined for seven three-point drainages in the opening quarter, both shooting a higher percentage from beyond the arc than within. The Cougars knocked down a trio within an 11-2 stretch, two Richelle Turney treys on either side of Paige Talbott's lone long ball, to grab a 15-9 advantage. Pratt fired back with five straight to later knock down its third triple of the quarter to tie it up at 17.
The run extended into the second frame with five straight with Vanessa Oduah's long ball eventually tying it up as charity tosses from Hannah Valentine completed the 9-2 run for a Barton 28-26 lead. The lead remained for the next two minutes but Pratt closed the half on 10-0 stretch until D'Shonda Hunt's alert pass to Turney on the low block put Barton within 38-34 at the break.
Connecting on three of the Beavers' six first half three-pointers, Pratt's Eva Sanchez knocked down her lone trey of the second half in leading seven straight building the away teams' margin to eleven within the first two minutes out of the locker room.
The margin grew to twelve with 7:13 to play and remained at ten for the next two minutes before the Cougars began to make a move. Tiffany Dortland led the charge, banging a pair of triples before a jumper with 3:46 left closed Barton to within four. The Beavers pushed the lead back to five but the Cougars held them scoreless the remaining 1:53 in closing to within 54-53 headed to the final frame.
Barton put the Beavers in the rear view mirror with 7:47 to play as Hunt's offensive rebound put back gained the lead for the final time with Turney tacking on five straight going back-to-back from deep land with Queen Ulabo for a 65-56 lead.
Turney's And-1 conversion pushed the margin over ten with 5:38 left as Hunt and Ulabo making inside shots matching the squad's largest lead of eleven twice around the four minute mark. Pratt cut the gap to six with 1:11 left on their eighth three-pointer of the game but Ulabo's slash to the hole and Turney's 1-of-2 from the stripe was all either team could put on the scoreboard in the final minute.
Turney flirted with a new career high in leading all players with twenty-eight points, burying 4-of-6 behind the arc, and hauling down ten rebounds for her first collegiate double-double. Hunt grabbed seven boards to go along with fourteen points while Dortland's pair of treys led to ten point surge off the bench while also dishing out a team high five assists. Ulabo earned game rebound honors with eleven, leading the Cougars to a nine board edge on the glass, while finishing just shy of double figures with nine.
Sanchez' twenty-four led Pratt with Rylee Alexander scoring ten points and team high four assists and three steals.
Barton shook off 35% first half shooting to connect on half their final twenty minute shots to finish just shy of 42% on the evening while Pratt started off well on 40% shooting before a 30% second half effort led to just 35% for the game.