BY MIKE MARZOLF
Special to the Tribune

Coming off its worst loss of the young season, the Barton women’s basketball team was in need of a win on its home floor.
No problem. Thanks in large part to some great free throw shooting by the best free throw shooting team in the conference.
The Cougars struggled to shoot the ball well from the field, but took dead aim at the free throw line on the way to a 75-52 win over Dodge City in Jayhawk Conference play at the Barton Gym.
The win improves the Cougars to 5-3 in the conference and 8-4 overall. Dodge City is 2-6 in the Jayhawk and 4-6 overall. That matches the Conquistadors win total from last year when they went 4-27.
The Cougars are tied for sixth in the 14-team league with Coffeyville.
Barton hit 31-of-36 free throws on the night to key the win.
The Cougars used that free throw shooting to take control in the opening quarter. Barton hit 13-of-16 free throws in the opening period to take a 20-9 on the Conquistadors. Mallory Miller was a perfect 8-for-8, including making all three free throws twice after being shooting a 3-pointer.
Barton started to find a little better offensive rhythm to start the second quarter. After hitting just three field goals in the first 10 minutes, Barton came out and made three in the opening two minutes of the second period to push its lead to 27-11 following a trey by Taylor Regan.
That, though, would be the last field goal Barton would make for nearly five minutes. Miller ended that with a trey with 3:32 to play in the half to make it a 32-15 lead.
By half, the Cougars had a 20-point lead on the Conquistadors, 36-16. During the opening 20 minutes, Barton hit just 8-of-26 field goal but made 17-of-20 free throws.
The lead got as high as 29 in the third period – the biggest of the night – before Dodge scored the final eight points of the period to cut the lead to 62-41 heading into the final period.
Four Cougars reached double figures in the win. Regan paced Barton with 16 points followed by Jaylin Stapleton and Miller with 13 each. Micaela Jellison added 12.
Jellison and Irene Chukwudi each had eight rebounds for the Cougars. Stapleton added six assists while Miller had four steals.
Makaela Ewing scored 14 to lead Dodge City.
The Cougars will finish out the first semester with a trip to Hutchinson Saturday to take on the Blue Dragons. Hutchinson is 6-2 in the Jayhawk and 8-2 overall after a key win at Butler Wednesday night, 59-53. Tip at the Sports Arena is set for 5:30 pm.
Barton will be looking for its first road win of the season. The Cougars, 8-1 at home, are 0-3 on the road this season.

Barton 75, Dodge City 52
Dodge 9 7 25 11 – 52
Barton 20 16 26 13 – 75
Dodge (4-5, 2-5) 52
Nelson 1-3 0-0 2, Lee 1-2 0-0 3, Rowley 1-2 1-2 3, Maple 1-4 1-2 3, Schiever 1-9 1-4 3, Fitts 4-6 0-0 8, Ewing 7-11 0-0 14, Aguino 0-2 0-0 0, Ortiz 1-5 0-1 2, Trice 2-2 1-2 5, Burris 0-2 0-0 0, Baker 1-7 0-0 2, Dale 2-7 2-3 6. Totals – 22-62 6-14 52.
Barton (8-4, 5-3) 75
Chagas 4-7 0-0 9, Stapleton 2-10 8-8 13, Regan 5-9 5-6 16, Jellison 2-6 8-10 12, Ndao 2-5 0-0 4, Dixon 0-0 1-2 1, White 0-2 0-0 0, Dirks 0-1 1-2 1, Dolinksy 2-6 0-0 6, Miller 2-11 8-8 13, Chukwudi 0-2 0-0 0. Totals – 19-59 31-36 75.
3-pointers – Dodge 2-9 (Fitts 1-1, Lee 1-2, Rowley 0-1, Maple 0-1, Burris 0-1, Baker 0-2, Schiever 0-2); Barton 6-20 (Dolinsky 2-4, Chagas 1-1, Regan 1-1, Stapleton 1-4, Miller 1-7, Dirks 0-1, White 0-2).
Rebounds – Dodge 38 (Dale 9); Barton 47 (Jellison 8, Chukwudi 8). Assists – Dodge 8 (Fitts 2, Baker 2); Barton 14 (Stapleton 6). Steals – Dodge 7 (Dale 3); Barton 14 (Miller 4). Blocks – Dodge 4 (4 with 1); Barton 5 (Chukwudi 2).
Turnovers – Dodge 26, Barton 19. Fouled Out – None. Technicals – None.