Cloud County Community College jumped ahead with some long-range shooting early in the women’s basketball team against Barton.
However, the Lady Cougars took ahold of the lead midway through the first half and never relinquished it to win the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Western Division game 75-68.
“Obviously, it was a big win for us,” Barton head coach Darin Spence said. “Without a lot to play for position-wise, it was a big win against a really good basketball team. I thought we executed offensively well. Defensively, we were good all night. It was a really good team win at a really good time.”
Cloud County lit up the scoreboard early, sinking a pair of 3-pointers to begin the game to get an early 6-4 lead.
The Lady Thunderbirds shot 4-for-9 from 3-point range in the first half.
A couple of Barton turnovers help set up a 16-11 lead later in the first quarter, but the Lady Cougars fought back and took the lead when Netanya Jackson, one of four sophomores playing their final game at Kirkman Activity Center, hit a layup with 9:52 remaining in the opening half.
Jackson’s layup was only a portion of a 13-0 run that led to a 24-16 lead for Barton.
“I was just feeling pretty good tonight,” Jackson said. “I wasn’t trying to force anything. It just felt natural. It was a nice home game. It’s kind of emotional night, but it was good. It’s good to finish off on a good note before we start tournament play.”
Sophomore Devan Boeger started the run with a 3-pointer from the right wing followed by an Erin Copeland field goal for two points.
Jackson hit her layup was followed by free throws made by sophomores Dionne Harris, who made four and was 9-for-10 from the line in the game, and Shea Shoemaker, who made 4 of 6 in the game.
The Lady Cougars were able to maintain a lead, heading into the intermission ahead 38-29.
Barton was 12-for-13 from the free-throw line in the first half and 26-for-31 for the game for 83.9 percent.
“It’s something that we’ve done well all year,” Spence said of shooting free throws. “I think we’re one or two in the league in free-throw shooting. Our problem has been not getting enough free-throw attempts. This might be one of the first nights in conference that we’re scored more points off the other team’s turnovers then they did off ours, which is a positive.
“We had 26 turnovers, that’s not a positive, but we were able to score. We could have cracked. At the end, we stepped up 1 of 2 free throws, and you can do that.”
Jackson led the Lady Cougars with 22 points and nine rebounds on sophomore night. She was 6-for-6 from the free-throw line.
Harris scored 15 points and grabbed five rebounds before she fouled out with one minute remaining.
Shoemaker finished with 14 points and Boegger scored three points and got two steals.
“I take my hat off to them,” Spence said of his sophomores. “To take on the challenge like they had this year, the adversity of it. The four of them have done really well. I’ve seen them grow as people. Obviously, I’ve seen them improve as basketball players.
“I’ve challenged them every day. I’ve been very hard on them because I know what’s out there. I know the challenges out there. That’s why I do what I do. I’ve been really hard on them, and they’ve all done really well.”
Barton, which finishes the regular season 18-12 overall, 8-8 in the West, travels to Labette for the first round of the NJCAA Region VI tournament on Wednesday.

JUCO BASKETBALL
Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference
Western Division

At Great Bend
Kirkman Activity Center

WOMEN

Saturday

Barton 75, Cloud County 68
CLOUD COUNTY (20-9, 11-5)
     Aleesha Coulter 4-9 4-4 15, Ashley Evans 6-17 0-1 13, Brieona Stagner 5-8 3-4 13, Megan Stagner 2-7 0-0 6, Tera Ingalsbe 5-9 2-2 13, Jessica Downard 0-1 0-0 0, Rachel Tailele 0-0 0-0 0, Paige Champlin 3-10 2-4 8. Totals 25-61 11-15 68.
BARTON (18-12, 8-8)
     Raven Anderson 0-2 0-0 0, Blair bloomfield 2-5 4-6 8, Netanya Jackson 8-12 6-6 22, Dionne Harris 3-7 9-10 15, Erin Copeland 2-5 3-3 7, Devan Boeger 1-3 0-0 3, Shea Shoemaker 4-7 4-6 14, Taschell Phillips 3-10 0-0 6. Totals 23-51 26-31 75.
     Halftime — Barton 38, Cloud County 29. Three-point goals — Barton 3-8 (Shoemaker 2-3, Boeger 1-3, Bloomfield 0-1, Copeland 0-1); Cloud County 7-18 (Coulter 3-7, Stagner 2-5, Evans 1-3, Ingalsbe 1-1, Downard 0-1, Champlin 0-1). Rebounds — Barton 36 (Jackson 9); Cloud County 31 (Champlin 8). Assists — Barton 16 (Copeland 8); Cloud County 15 (Coulter 6). Blocks — Barton 7 (Jackson 4); Cloud County 3 (Warner, Downard, Champlin). Totals fouls — Barton 16; Cloud County 22. Fouled out — Barton (Harris); Cloud County (Warner). Turnovers — Barton 26; Cloud County 26.