First quarter cushion, late free throws carry Barton women in road win at Colby #GoBarton
Donanu's 14-point first quarter sets the tone in Cougars' wire-to-wire road win at Colby
A tone-setting first quarter and steady closing minute at the free-throw line helped the Barton Community College women's basketball team pick up a 63-53 road win over Colby Community College on Wednesday night inside the Colby Activity Center.
The victory salvages a season split, moving the Cougars to 6-9 in Jayhawk Conference play and 8-13 overall, while the Trojans fall to 6-9 in league action and 10-10 on the season. Barton will conclude the busy week Saturday with a 2:00 p.m. matinee against nationally receiving votes Coffeyville Community College inside the Fleske Fieldhouse.
Regina Donanu established the early rhythm by accounting for 14 of Barton's 22 first-quarter points as the Cougars jumped out to an 8-2 advantage and closed the period on a 12-4 run to build a 22-12 lead after one.
Barton leaned on its bench in the second-quarter, as Kodi Greer capped a 16-4 run with a three-pointer to build a 14-point cushion. Fortunate Emechete, who entered the night 0-for-1 from beyond the arc, added a career high eight point quarter behind a pair of triples as the Cougars took a 38-26 lead into halftime.
Out of the locker room, Barton stretched the margin to 16 on three separate occasions early in the third quarter, but the offense stalled late, going scoreless over the final 5:35. The Cougars held firm defensively during the stretch, limiting Colby to a 4-0 close as Barton entered the final stanza with a 46-34 lead.
Offense remained limited early in the fourth, with Barton's lone point in the opening two minutes coming on a 1-of-2 trip at the line as Colby trimmed the margin to seven as part of a 10-1 stretch dating back to the third quarter. The Cougars answered with a timely 5-0 response, highlighted by Donanu's jumper snapping an 8:19 field-goal drought, and Greer's second ringing from long-range restoring a 52-40 cushion with 4:50 to play. Colby pulled within six late, but Barton closed the door at the free-throw line, converting seven of its final eight attempts in the closing minute to secure its second straight victory.
Barton's first half shooting of 53.1 percent helped build the needed separation, before the Cougars cooled off to 22.2 percent in the second half to finish the night at 39.0 percent overall. Barton capitalized on its perimeter opportunities, knocking down 5-of-10 from three-point range while holding Colby to just 1-of-11 outside. The Trojans shot 36.0 percent in the first half and 33.3 percent after the break to close at 34.6 percent for the game.
Barton controlled the glass throughout the night, outrebounding the defensive-minded KJCCC-leading Trojans by 12, including a plus-5 edge on the offensive end, translating into a 15-5 advantage in second chance points.
Doanu led a trio of Cougars in double figure with 19 points, adding three rebounds and two assists. Mary Akinde followed with 10 points and five rebounds, while Greer rounded out Barton's double-figure scoring with 10 points, going a perfect 4-of-4 at the free-throw line. Christal Long flirted with a double-double, finishing with seven points and a game high nine rebounds.
Colby was paced by Dessirae Ulmer's game-high 22 points and eight rebounds, while Jera Kruleski chipped in 12 points off the bench as part of the Trojans' 18 bench points.