HUTCHINSON - The Barton women’s basketball team has been playing some pretty good basketball. Real good basketball, actually.

The Cougars were 5-1 since the beginning of January and were 7-2 over their last nine games. But the team Barton ran into Wednesday night was even hotter.

Hutchinson took to the Sports Arena floor sporting a 5-1 mark of its own since January and a 8-1 record in its last nine games.

Oh, and Hutch was a perfect 12-0 on its home floor that included a 31-point win over the Jayhawk Conference leader just more than a week ago.

It didn’t take long for the Blue Dragons to continue that dominance at home. Hutch used a 15-0 run in the first half to take control of the contest then cruised to a 73-47 win over Barton.

The win keeps Hutch second in the Jayhawk at 12-4 behind 13-2 Independence, the team the Blue Dragons crushed just 10 days ago. Hutch is 18-4 overall.

Barton slipped to 8-7 in the Jayhawk and 11-10 on the season. The Cougars are currently sitting in tied for seventh with Garden City.

Things got away from the Cougars at the end of the first quarter and into the start of the second.

Barton trailed just 11-9 after Acorianna Lard hit a 3-pointer with just more than five minutes to play in the period. That would be the final points of the quarter the Cougars would score.

Hutch closed out the period on a 10-0 run to make it a 21-9 contest. The Blue Dragons then started the second period on a 5-0 spurt to make it a 15-0 run and give the host team a 26-9 lead.

If there was any doubt left in the outcome Hutch put it to bed with another run to end the second quarter.

Another 8-1 run to end the second quarter gave Hutchinson a 36-18 lead at intermission.

The lead hit 20 early in the second half as the Blue Dragons cruised to an easy win on its home floor.

Barton was led in scoring by sophomore Brenna Kirchhoff with 14 points. She hit 2-of-5 3-pointers. Lard joined her in double figures with 11.

Tor’e Alford had a big game for Hutchinson, nearly pulling off a triple-double. Alford scored 11 points, grabbed eight rebounds and handed out nine assists. Natalie Payne led four Blue Dragons in double figures with 19.

Things don’t get much easier for Barton. The Cougars will play host to Jayhawk leader Independence Saturday in a 2 pm tip.

Hutch 73, Barton 47

Barton   9    9  15  14 - 47

Hutch 21  15  23  14 - 73

Barton 11-10, 8-7 (47)

Shubert 1-4 0-0 2, Lard 4-14 2-2 11, Kirchhoff 6-14 0-2 14, Meyers 1-4 1-2 3, Nkem Womsi 1-6 3-4 5, Crites 0-0 4-4 4, Heskamp 2-3 0-0 4, Fanning 1-1 0-0 2, Foxhall 0-0 0-0 0, Rumford 0-1 0-0 0, Schroer 1-3 0-0 2, Hall 0-2 0-0 0, Anderson 0-1 0-0 0. Totals - 17-53 10-14 47.

Hutch 18-4, 12-4  (73)

Payne 7-11 2-3 19, Ervin 4-10 1-1 12, Kailahi 2-3 0-0 5, Alford 2-6 5-6 11, Williams 6-13 2-3 15, Washington 1-4 0-0 2, Simms 0-1 0-0 0, Howard 1-1 0-0 2, Morris 1-5 0-0 2, Hughes 0-0 0-0 0, Craig 2-3 1-1 5. Totals - 26-57 11-14 73.

3-pointers --  Barton 3-15 (Kirchhoff 2-5, Lard 1-5, Shubert 0-1, Heskamp 0-1, Meyers 0-3), Hutch 10-23 (Payne 3-4, Ervin 3-5, Alford 2-3, Kailahi 1-1, Williams 1-6, Simms 0-1, Morris 0-1, Washington 0-2).

Rebounds - Barton 32 (Nkem Womsi 6), Hutch 38 (Alford 8). Assists - Barton 13 (Lard 4), Hutch 23 (Alford 9). Steals - Barton 9 (Kirchhoff 3), Hutch 8 (Williams 4). Blocks - Barton 1 (Lard), Hutch 1 (Morris).

Turnovers - Barton 18, Hutch 16. Fouled out - None. Technicals - None.