BY MIKE MARZOLF
Special to the Tribune
It was one of those games the Barton women’s basketball was supposed to win.
Pratt came to the Barton Gym winless in the Jayhawk Conference and just one win on the season. The Beavers brought with them a 10-game losing streak.
Those games make coaches very nervous.
It looked like Alan Clark’s worries wouldn’t last long as the Cougars bolted out to a 13-0 lead early in the game.
But Pratt made a game of it before the Cougars, like they did Wednesday night in a win over Cloud County, used a big third quarter to put the game away.
Barton won the contest, 79-51.
“We got things going in the second half,” Coach Clark said. “I think maybe our kids had it too easy to start the game. We struggled in the second period but were able to play much better in the that second half.”
Barton is now 7-4 in the Jayhawk Conference and 10-5 overall. Pratt falls to 0-11 and 1-13.
The win kept Barton just a couple games out of first in the Jayhawk. A 4-way tie clogs up the top of the Jayhawk between Cowley, Hutchinson, Independence, and Seward at 9-2. Barton and Cloud are tied at 7-4 in fifth.
Barton jumped to the 13-0 lead thanks to 11 combined points from sophomores Juliana Chagas and Micaela Jellison. Jellison scored five straight before Chagas hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give Barton the 13-0 with 6:40 left in the quarter.
Pratt would settle in and cut the lead to 16-9 before Mallory Miller hit the first of five 3-pointers to get the Cougars rolling again.
Barton led 25-14 after one quarter.
Pratt made another run to start the second quarter, scoring the first seven points to cut the lead to 25-21, forcing Coach Clark to call his first timeout of the game.
The Cougars responded with the next six to push it back to double figures but Pratt once again answered with six straight of its own to make it 31-27 midway through the second period.
Barton, after another timeout by Coach Clark, extended that lead to 36-27. At intermission, Barton led 40-31.
Barton established control once again in the third period, taking its biggest lead of the game when Jaylin Stapleton hit two free throws for a 54-39 lead with 3:58 left in the period. Barton scored the final nine points of the period to take a 59-39 lead into the final quarter.
Chagas and Miller led Barton with 15 points each. Jellison added 12 points and just missed a double-double with nine rebounds.
Taylor Regan continued to rebound the ball well, collecting a career-high 17 boards in the win. The freshman from Albert also had seven assists and seven points.
Rebecca Younis led Pratt with 13.
Next on the schedule for Barton will be a trip to Coffeyville to take on the Red Ravens. Coffeyville is one game back of Barton at 6-5 in the conference and 8-7.
The Red Ravens have lost two straight since returning from the Christmas break while Barton has won both. Barton has not won three straight all season. The Cougars are also winless on the road this year.
Tip at Nellis Gym is set for 5:30 p.m.
Barton 79, Pratt 51
Pratt 14 17 8 12 – 51
Barton 25 15 19 20 – 79
Pratt (0-11, 1-13) 51
Younis 5-9 1-2 13, Tullis 3-5 0-3 6, Mach 1-10 3-4 5, Parvin 3-7 0-0 8, Smith 2-10 0-0 4, Klaus 0-1 0-0 0, Diaz 0-1 0-0 0, Anderson 2-6 0-0 5, Lewis 0-2 0-0 0, Wesley 0-0 0-0 0, Miller 1-5 0-0 2, Catlin 2-8 3-4 8, Cannon 0-0 0-0 0. Totals – 19-64 7-13 51.
Barton (7-4, 10-5) 79
Chagas 5-9 2-3 15, Stapleton 2-8 4-4 9, Regan 1-5 5-6 7, Jellison 4-7 3-4 11, Ndao 3-4 2-4 8, Dirks 3-5 0-0 8, Miller 5-14 0-0 15, Dixon 0-0 0-0 0, White 0-0 2-4 2, Dolinsky 2-5 0-0 4. Totals – 25-57 18-25 79.
3-pointers – Pratt 6-24 (Younis 2-2, Parvin 2-3, Catlin 1-4, Anderson 1-5, Smith 0-1, Diaz 0-1, Lewis 0-2, Miller 0-3); Barton 11-23 (Miller 5-9, Chagas 3-3, Dirks 2-3, Stapleton 1-5, Regan 0-1, Jellison 0-1, Dolinsky 0-1).
Rebounds – Pratt 30 (Parvin 7); Barton 51 (Regan 17). Assists – Pratt 7 (Smith 2, Catlin 2); Barton 22 (Regan 7). Steals – Pratt 7 (Younis 3); Barton 4 (Jellison 2). Blocks – Pratt 4 (Tullis 2); Barton 5 (Stapleton 2).
Turnovers – Pratt 12, Barton 16. Fouled Out – None. Technicals – None.
