GARDEN CITY – After back-to-back games against the top two teams in the Jayhawk West, the Barton women's basketball team appeared to have a bit of breather on its schedule Saturday.
The Cougars headed to southwest Kansas to take on the team at the bottom of the West standings in Garden City.
It proved to be anything but a breather for the Cougars.
In fact, Barton led a total of 50 seconds the entire game. But that was enough for a win.
Barton scored the final seven points of the game to escape Garden City with an 80-79 Jayhawk West win.
"It was a great effort," Coach Alan Clark said. "We knew they couldn't keep shooting the ball like they were. We just had to stay with it and keep working hard. We did."
The Cougars stayed alone in third with the win at 8-6 on the year and 12-11 overall. Garden remains in the cellar at 3-11 and 8-15.
The Cougars fell behind in the opening minute and didn't lead again until a 3-point play by Vanessa Oduah in the game's final minute.
Trailing by as many as 15, Barton got the lead down to a pair with just more than one minute to play. After Garden City missed a pair of shots, Oduah played hero.
Oduah got a pass from Queen Ulabo just shy of midcourt, dribbled past one Broncbuster defender near midcourt and headed down the lane. Oduah hit a floater in the lane and drew a foul as the Garden defender had her feet inside the circle.
Oduah made the ensuing free throw with 34 seconds to play and Barton had a lead for the first time since the opening minute, 80-79.
With fouls to give, Barton wasted a couple of them on Garden's next possession and the Broncbusters eventually forced up a tough shot that Ulabo rebounded and was fouled with 1.3 seconds to play.
Ulabo missed both free throws but by the time Garden rebounded and called a timeout just 0.8 was left on the clock. A final shot by was blocked by Ulabo and Barton had an improbable win.
"I'm proud of our kids for not quitting," Coach Clark said. "The old MO of getting down early bit us again tonight. That is frustrating as a coach but I am proud of the girls for not quitting and keep fighting."
As Coach Clark said. the Cougars revisited an issue this season of a slow start. That had the Cougars going uphill from the opening tip.
Well, almost the opening tip.
Barton's Richelle Turney gave the Cougars a 3-0 lead 13 seconds into the game. Garden City scored the next 12 points.
By the end of the first period, Garden had knocked down six 3-pointers and put 30 points on the board, up 30-18.
The lead got as high as 15, 43-28, 3:38 before half. By the time the game reached, half, it was a 48-37 game.
In two of Garden's last three games its final point total was just 57 and 51. The Broncbusters nearly reached that by half as they hit a sizzling 10-of-20 on 3-pointers for a bulk of those points.
The third quarter was mostly a wash. Barton was able to trim the lead to seven, 59-52 after a Tiffany Dortland trey with 2:27 left in the quarter but Garden answered with its 12th trey of the game the following possession.
Things finally began to get interesting in the fourth period when The Cougars D'Shonda Hunt scored five straight to cap a 7-0 run and make it a 73-69 game with 5:15 to play.
"D'Shonda was great in the second half," Coach Clark. "She struggle in the first half but in the second, wow. She was really good."
That is as close as Barton would get until just more than one minute remained when Oduah made it 79-77 with two free throws with 1:15 left.
Two misses by Garden gave Barton the ball back and set up Oduah for the Cougars first lead since the first minute of the game.
Oduah scored 17 for the Cougars, including the three that gave Barton the lead. Hunt led Barton with 19 points - all in the second half -- thanks in part of a perfect 9-for-9 effort at the free throw line. Hunt also had seven rebounds.
Ulabo scored 16 and grabbed 12 rebounds for a double-double and recorded one block – the one that ended the game.
Garden cooled off from deep in the second half, finishing 13-of-31 from beyond the arc.
The Cougars will begin their final run through the West when Pratt comes to the Barton Gym Wednesday for a 5:30 pm start. Barton won at Pratt, 61-52, earlier this year.
Garden 30 18 18 12 – 79
Barton (8-6, 12-11) 80
Turney 3-5 0-0 7, Willt 2-5 0-0 4, Hunt 5-10 9-9 19, Ulabo 8-14 0-2 16, Oduah 6-13 5-6 17, Dortland 1-8 2-2 5, Talbott 0-0 0-0 0, Valentine 2-5 4-6 8, Davis 0-0 0-0 0, Branzovski 0-0 1-2 1, Miller 1-1 1-2 3 Totals – 28-61 22-29 80.
Garden (3-11, 8-15) 79
Ross 2-9 2-4 7, Boyce 5-14 0-0 11, Bellany 6-18 0-0 17, Tudela 6-11 0-0 16, Pejeaud 6-13 0-0 12, McGee 1-1 2-2 4, Ford 0-0 0-0 0, Hall 4-6 0-0 10, Tabor 0-0 0-0 0, Watkins 1-1 0-0 2. Totals – 31-73 4-6 79.
3-pointers – Barton 2-13 (Turney 1-3, Dortland 1-6, Willt 0-2, Ulabo 0-2), Garden 13-31 (Bellany 5-11, Tudela 4-5 Hall 2-3, Boyce 1-4, Ross 1-6, Pajeaud 0-2).
Rebounds – Barton 42 (Ulabo 12), Garden 31 (Pajeaud 9). Assists – Barton 16 (Oduah 5), Garden 20 (Bellany 8). Steals – Barton 11 (Hunt 3, Ulabo 3), Garden 9 (Ross 3). Blocks – Barton 2 (Hunt, Ulabo), Garden 2 (Pejeaud, Hall).
The Cougars headed to southwest Kansas to take on the team at the bottom of the West standings in Garden City.
It proved to be anything but a breather for the Cougars.
In fact, Barton led a total of 50 seconds the entire game. But that was enough for a win.
Barton scored the final seven points of the game to escape Garden City with an 80-79 Jayhawk West win.
"It was a great effort," Coach Alan Clark said. "We knew they couldn't keep shooting the ball like they were. We just had to stay with it and keep working hard. We did."
The Cougars stayed alone in third with the win at 8-6 on the year and 12-11 overall. Garden remains in the cellar at 3-11 and 8-15.
The Cougars fell behind in the opening minute and didn't lead again until a 3-point play by Vanessa Oduah in the game's final minute.
Trailing by as many as 15, Barton got the lead down to a pair with just more than one minute to play. After Garden City missed a pair of shots, Oduah played hero.
Oduah got a pass from Queen Ulabo just shy of midcourt, dribbled past one Broncbuster defender near midcourt and headed down the lane. Oduah hit a floater in the lane and drew a foul as the Garden defender had her feet inside the circle.
Oduah made the ensuing free throw with 34 seconds to play and Barton had a lead for the first time since the opening minute, 80-79.
With fouls to give, Barton wasted a couple of them on Garden's next possession and the Broncbusters eventually forced up a tough shot that Ulabo rebounded and was fouled with 1.3 seconds to play.
Ulabo missed both free throws but by the time Garden rebounded and called a timeout just 0.8 was left on the clock. A final shot by was blocked by Ulabo and Barton had an improbable win.
"I'm proud of our kids for not quitting," Coach Clark said. "The old MO of getting down early bit us again tonight. That is frustrating as a coach but I am proud of the girls for not quitting and keep fighting."
As Coach Clark said. the Cougars revisited an issue this season of a slow start. That had the Cougars going uphill from the opening tip.
Well, almost the opening tip.
Barton's Richelle Turney gave the Cougars a 3-0 lead 13 seconds into the game. Garden City scored the next 12 points.
By the end of the first period, Garden had knocked down six 3-pointers and put 30 points on the board, up 30-18.
The lead got as high as 15, 43-28, 3:38 before half. By the time the game reached, half, it was a 48-37 game.
In two of Garden's last three games its final point total was just 57 and 51. The Broncbusters nearly reached that by half as they hit a sizzling 10-of-20 on 3-pointers for a bulk of those points.
The third quarter was mostly a wash. Barton was able to trim the lead to seven, 59-52 after a Tiffany Dortland trey with 2:27 left in the quarter but Garden answered with its 12th trey of the game the following possession.
Things finally began to get interesting in the fourth period when The Cougars D'Shonda Hunt scored five straight to cap a 7-0 run and make it a 73-69 game with 5:15 to play.
"D'Shonda was great in the second half," Coach Clark. "She struggle in the first half but in the second, wow. She was really good."
That is as close as Barton would get until just more than one minute remained when Oduah made it 79-77 with two free throws with 1:15 left.
Two misses by Garden gave Barton the ball back and set up Oduah for the Cougars first lead since the first minute of the game.
Oduah scored 17 for the Cougars, including the three that gave Barton the lead. Hunt led Barton with 19 points - all in the second half -- thanks in part of a perfect 9-for-9 effort at the free throw line. Hunt also had seven rebounds.
Ulabo scored 16 and grabbed 12 rebounds for a double-double and recorded one block – the one that ended the game.
Garden cooled off from deep in the second half, finishing 13-of-31 from beyond the arc.
The Cougars will begin their final run through the West when Pratt comes to the Barton Gym Wednesday for a 5:30 pm start. Barton won at Pratt, 61-52, earlier this year.
Barton 80, Garden City 79
Barton 18 19 19 24 – 80Garden 30 18 18 12 – 79
Barton (8-6, 12-11) 80
Turney 3-5 0-0 7, Willt 2-5 0-0 4, Hunt 5-10 9-9 19, Ulabo 8-14 0-2 16, Oduah 6-13 5-6 17, Dortland 1-8 2-2 5, Talbott 0-0 0-0 0, Valentine 2-5 4-6 8, Davis 0-0 0-0 0, Branzovski 0-0 1-2 1, Miller 1-1 1-2 3 Totals – 28-61 22-29 80.
Garden (3-11, 8-15) 79
Ross 2-9 2-4 7, Boyce 5-14 0-0 11, Bellany 6-18 0-0 17, Tudela 6-11 0-0 16, Pejeaud 6-13 0-0 12, McGee 1-1 2-2 4, Ford 0-0 0-0 0, Hall 4-6 0-0 10, Tabor 0-0 0-0 0, Watkins 1-1 0-0 2. Totals – 31-73 4-6 79.
3-pointers – Barton 2-13 (Turney 1-3, Dortland 1-6, Willt 0-2, Ulabo 0-2), Garden 13-31 (Bellany 5-11, Tudela 4-5 Hall 2-3, Boyce 1-4, Ross 1-6, Pajeaud 0-2).
Rebounds – Barton 42 (Ulabo 12), Garden 31 (Pajeaud 9). Assists – Barton 16 (Oduah 5), Garden 20 (Bellany 8). Steals – Barton 11 (Hunt 3, Ulabo 3), Garden 9 (Ross 3). Blocks – Barton 2 (Hunt, Ulabo), Garden 2 (Pejeaud, Hall).
Turnovers – Barton 20, Garden 18. Fouled Out – None. Technicals – None.
