Delete - Merge UBY MACK McCLURE

mmcclure@gbtribune.com

There has been a major shakeup in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Western Division men’s and women’s basketball standings.

In the past week, Barton’s women (16-9 overall), in the midst of a five-game winning streak, won three games to zoom into sole possession of third place in the Jayhawk standings with an 8-3 record.

On the flip side, Barton’s men, once 5-3 in conference play, has lost three straight to drop to 5-6 in the West and 17-8 overall.

Both BCC teams will get stern tests again tonight, playing host to Garden City at Kirkman Athletic Center. The women’s game tips off at 6, followed by the men’s game at 8. The hoops doubleheader was postponed on Wednesday and moved to tonight because of the winter storm that hit the area.

Barton’s men will be encountering a Garden City team which sits in a tie for second place with Cloud in the standings with 6-4 marks. Seward, which is ranked No. 10 in the latest NJCAA poll, is in first place at 9-2.

Preseason favorite and No. 15-ranked Hutchinson, which comes calling to Great Bend next Wednesday, sits in fourth place at 6-5 (20-5 overall), followed by the 5-6 Cougars in fifth place.

To show parity in the conference this season, last-place Colby, which took Barton down to the wire before losing on the road a couple weeks ago, rose from the ashes to topple Seward 70-63 on Monday night.

Butler, which entertains Barton in 5:30 p.m. (women) and 7:30 games on Saturday, beat Hutch in men’s action earlier in the season — something Barton did to Hutch on the road.

It goes to show that in the Jayhawk Conference, parity is alive and well, no matter how much it sounds like a cliche’.

Barton’s women will be taking on a Garden City team that is 13-11 overall, including 3-7 in conference play.

It’s important that the BCC women keep hitting on all cylinders. After all, Barton gets Butler at their place on Saturday. Butler (18-6) has an 8-2 record, second only to first-place Hutchinson (23-2), which is 10-1).