Following a tough end to the 2015 portion of the schedule, the Barton Community College women’s basketball team broke a three game losing streak Saturday afternoon with a big conference road win defeating Allen County Community College 78-67 in Iola, Kansas. The Lady Cougars grabbed control in the third quarter extending a five-point halftime advantage with a 12-2 run leading by as much as seventeen in cruising through the final ten moments. Barton improves to 1-3 in Jayhawk play and 9-6 overall dropping Allen County to 0-5 and 4-11 on the season. The Lady Cougars will get their first taste of the home floor in 2016 coming on Wednesday as Barton hosts Independence Community College with a 5:30 p.m. tip at the Barton Gym.
Following a tightly contested first quarter, Allen extended its three point lead to 19-14 before Barton started to awaken. Led by eight second quarter points from sophomore guard Dominique Baker, the Lady Cougars utilized a 11-2 run to grab a four point 25-21 lead. With multiple shots to close the gap in the final moment before half, Baker ended the Allen threat with a steal leading to a Jalissa Jones transition layup giving Barton a 29-24 halftime edge.
The Lady Cougars took control of the contest behind three Kilee Harris three-pointers in the third quarter going on a 12-2 run to grab a 48-37 lead with 3:35 to play. Barton then extended the lead closing out the quarter with a four point advantage leading 58-43 headed to the final ten minutes.
Taking the lead out to seventeen in the first two minutes, the Lady Cougars wouldn’t allow the Red Devils to within twelve the rest of the way before a closing 5-0 Allen run made the final margin an eleven point win.
Baker led all scorers in the game with a career high twenty-two points scoring twelve of those in second half action. Regan Unruh scored fifteen while Harris’s four treys contributing to fourteen points and Megan Jirak reached double-figures for the twelfth time this season finishing with twelve points.
