Playing at home for the first time this season on Tuesday night, St. John native Alisha Fanshier made a triumphant return to the Barton Community College women’s basketball lineup.
Fanshier, a 5-foot-8 sophomore guard and an honorable mention All-Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Western Division selection last season, helped the Cougars ease past Crowder College 88-77 at Kirkman Athletic Center.
Fanshier was one of four Barton players who scored in double figures, totaling 12 points. She also had team highs of eight rebounds and four assists, as the Cougars (3-6) snapped a three-game losing streak.
 “It helps having Alisha (Fanisher) back, a sophomore who has been there before and knows what it takes,” BCC head coach Keith Ferguson said of Fanshier, who was serving a seven-game suspension for a team violation.
“She brings a level of confidence. She started 30 games last year and she was all-conference, so she knows what it takes to be successful.”
Fanshier knocked the rust off over the Thanksgiving holiday, playing in the Frank Phillips game last weekend at the Pratt tournament, a 70-60 setback.
Against Crowder (5-5), which is based in Neosho, Mo., Fanshier was one of many Cougars to push the issue, attacking the basket relentlessly.
Christina Caddy and Dionne Harris each scored 14 points to lead the Cougars and post player Netanya Jackson had 11 points and four rebounds in 13 minutes of action. Guard Raven Adams hit 4 of 5 field goals for nine points and also had four assists for BCC, and backcourt mate Shea Shoemaker had seven points, six rebounds and four assists in perhaps the team’s most complete game of the season.
Fanshier was able to get into the ebb-and-flow early, registering five points, five rebounds and five assists as the Cougars bolted to a 45-30 halftime lead.
“I hate sitting on the bench,” Fanshier said. “It eats at me inside. It felt good to get out there and to help prove that our team is better than we have been playing was great.”
Fanshier was one of the big guns two years ago at St. John High School, leading the Lady Tigers to the Class 1A state championship with a 26-2 record.
Growing up only 15 minutes outside of Great Bend near the small farming community of Seward, Fanshier was making a Homecoming of sorts Tuesday night. She averaged 13 points and four rebounds in 2009-2010.
“That’s mainly the big reason I came to Barton,” Fanshier said. “I love the people and the environment and I love having my family here.
“I really like it here.”
Ferguson and his team viewed a lot of game film over the past few days, and he noted that they had an increase in their intensity, thus revving up their speed in the game.
“We really got after it in practice the previous few days,” Ferguson said. “We came out with more intensity, and we saw in our previous eight games how soft we were in stretches (while watching film).”
BCC men 72,
New Creations 67
Barton’s men improved to 9-2 on the season with a 72-67 victory over the New Creations Basketball Academy on Monday night at Kirkman Athletic Center. The Cougars led the entire way, but were never able to shake free from the Flyers on the way to the win.
Barton led by as many as 15 in the opening stages of the second half, but New Creations cut the lead to three points late in the contest. The Cougars were able to knock down their free throws down the stretch to earn the win.
Storm Sanders poured in 21 points to lead Barton with 7-of-10 shooting including a 5-for-8 effort on 3-pointers. He was joined in double figures by Colin Beatty with 16 and Dwayne Brunson with 13 points and a game-high 19 rebounds. Adam Young also posted a double-digit rebound total with 10. Beatty had five assists, and Brunson three steals to lead Barton. New Creations was led by Chase Campbell with 19 points and Marshall Bennett with 14.
The Cougars will be back in action Wednesday when Hesston College visits BCC. Tipoff is set for 7.