BY MACK McCLURE
mmcclure@gbtribune.com
EL DORADO — The energy level that the Barton Community College women’s basketball team encountered in Butler on Saturday night at the Power Plant was a major challenge.
Yet BCC has been up for challenges lately, and the Cougars’ good fortune continued in an emotional 67-61 win over the Grizzlies.
It was the seventh straight conference win for Barton as it is now 18-9 overall and 10-3 in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Western Division. Butler falls to 18-8, 8-4.
BCC guard Christina Caddy scored 12 points and Shea Shoemaker added 11 for the Cougars, yet the difference maker, especially in the second half, was post player Netanya Jackson, who had eight points, a game-high nine rebounds. Late in the game, Jackson, a 6-foot-4 widebody, also altered some of Butler’s shots with just her mere presence.
“Netanya did a lot of good things,” BCC head coach Keith Ferguson said of the freshman, one of eight players for the Cougars who scored five or more points in the game. “Netanya bothered a lot of shots, got a few big-time rebounds and she did a lot of really good things.
“We told our kids, ‘The run is coming and what are you going to do to stop it and what are you going to do to keep building on our lead.”
The Cougars, who led 34-30 at intermission, responded by answering on the other end after Butler started knocking down some 3s, including a trio each by Abby Fawcett and Christy Couey.
BCC finished 8-for-23 on 3s after hitting 4 of 10 in the first half. Caddy was 3 for 6 from downtown and Shoemaker was 2 of 5 on 3s.
“Shea is starting to be a little more aggressive and starting to do some more things,” Ferguson said. “We need Shea. We need her to be a good player and we need her to be aggressive.”
Other players who stepped up included Dionne Harris, who finished with eight points and seven rebounds, and Devan Boeger, who scored five points.
Barton entertains first-place Hutchinson on Wednesday at Kirkman Athletic Center with tipoff set for 6 p.m.
JUNIOR COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Kansas Jayhawk Community
College Conference
Western Division
At El Dorado
Saturday
WOMEN
Barton Community College 67,
Butler 61
BARTON (18-9, 10-3)
Shea Shoemaker 3-7 3-3 11, Christina Caddy 3-110 3-4 12, Alisha Fanshier 2-8 4-4 9, Raven Adams 3-7 0-1 7, Dionne Harris 3-5 2-2 8, Devan Boeger 1-3 2-2 5, Cerissa McMillan 1-2 3-4 5, Jara Shoemaker 1-3 0-0 2, Netanya Jackson 3-6 3-5 8. Totals 20-51 19-25 67.
BUTLER (18-8, 8-4)
Louis Chantee 0-5 0-0 0, Paige Franklin 2-5 2-2 8, Lateisha Sims 2-7 2-4 7, Abby Fawcett 4-8 9-9 20, Asia Watson 1-5 1-5 3, Lydia Key 0-2 0-0 0, Jesssica Eguagu 0-2 2-2 2, Jordyn Tolefree 1-2 0-0 2, Tiera Andrews 3-8 1-4 8, Christy Couey 3-8 0-0 9, Kiara O’Neal 0-3 0-0 0, Aril Miller 0-0 2-3 2. Totals 16-55 19-29 61.
Halftime — Barton 34, Butler 30. Three-point goals — Barton 8-23 (Caddy 3-6, S. Shoemaker 2-5, Franshier 1-4, Adams 1-3, Boeger); Butler 10-24 (Fawcett 3-6, Couey 3-7, Franklin 2-3, Sims 1-3, Andrew 1-2, Chantee 0-2, Key 0-1). Rebounds — Barton 39 (Jackson 9, Harris 7); Butler 39 (Franklin 7, Watson 7). Assists — Butler 12 (Franklin 6); Barton 10 (McMillan 2, J. Shoemaker 2, Fanshier 2).
