Playing without two of its sophomores, the Seward County Community College women’s basketball team was able to beat Barton on Wednesday night at Kirkman Activity Center.
The Saints were without leading scorer Ashlynn Knoll and Kayla Thomas, who were in a car accident on Saturday in Texas, but that didn’t stop Seward County from having three players in double digits in the 75-57 win.
“I think we played one of our worst games of the year,” Barton head coach Darin Spence said. “I think most of that was due to nerves against a team that has a lot of character. Their two best players didn’t even play. They were in a car wreck, so it’s that wounded animal theory where they are going to play better. They’re going to play more focused.
“I’m just very disappointed. We lose the game because of turnovers and points off of turnovers. Then the offensive rebounds that we gave up. We’re talking about 20 points off of turnovers and nine points off of offensive rebounds.”
Seward County advances to 12-2 overall and 1-0 in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Western Division. Barton drops to 10-5 overall, 0-1 in the conference.
“We didn’t play like we’ve been playing,” Spence said. “It is just one of 16 games. We just have to move on to the other 15 that we’ve got to play. There is a lot of disappointment in our locker room right now.”
Barton played neck-and-neck with Seward County, who are ranked No. 10 in the latest National Junior College Athletic Association poll, in the first half, getting started with five points from Dionne Harris, who finished with a team-leading 20 points.
However, the Lady Cougars only led for three minutes in the first half and never by more than three points, taking the lead on a Shea Shoemaker 3-pointer with 11:04 remaining.
Barton had 10 turnovers in the first half and finished with 24, which Seward County was able to turn into 20 points.
Both Harris and Shoemaker got into early foul trouble and were forced to sit on the bench in the first half.
Harris played seven minutes and Shoemaker played only six in the opening period.
“For us, our sophomores have to do a better job of being leaders, specially in league play,” Spence said. “Specially in so-called big games. We’re not going to be very good if Dionne and Shea are sitting on the bench in the first half because they have silly fouls. Those sophomores have been through the battles home or away. They know who the teams are. They got to step up. This is the time those sophomores need to lead.”
It was the Saints’ free-throw shooting that kept Barton in the game early. Seward finished 8-for-15 from the free-throw line in the first half for 53.3 percent shooting.
Seward finished the first half with three unanswered 3-pointers to take a 30-21 lead into halftime.
Barton was 13-for-14 collectively from the free-throw line for 92.9 percent shooting.
Blair Bloomfield scored 10 points for Barton.
Raven Anderson, who was playing her first game for Barton, went 1-for-11 from the field and had team-leading five steals.

JUNIOR COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Kansas Jayhawk Community
College Conference
Western Division

At Great Bend
Kirkman Activity Center

WOMEN

Wednesday

Seward County 75, Barton 57
SEWARD COUNTY (12-2)
     Ricquia Jones 1-8 7-10 9, Anete Kirsteine 6-14 0-0 17, Charmine Burns 6-10 6-8 21, Payton Fleming 1-2 0-0 2, Mariah Lee 3-7 7-8 13, Kelsey Blair 3-3 2-2 9, LaQuecia Parker 0-0 0-0 0, Mattie Yanke 1-9 0-0 2, Hannah Bognar 0-3 2-6 2. Totals 21-56 24-34 75.
BARTON (1-0)
     Shea Shoemaker 3-5 0-0 7, Blair Bloomfield 4-9 2-2 10, Taschell Phillips 1-7 0-0 2, Dionne Harris 6-10 8-9 20, Erin Copeland 1-6 2-2 4, Devan Boeger 1-1 0-0 3, Jennifer Allende 0-0 0-0 0, Raven Anderson 1-11 0-0 2, Crystal Fulton 0-0 0-0 0, Netanya Jackson 4-8 1-1 9. Totals 21-57 13-14 57.
     Halftime — Seward County 30, Barton 21. Three-point goals — Seward County 9-23 (Kirsteine 5-9, Burns 3-6, Blair 1-1, Jones 0-4, Yanke 0-3); Barton 2-8 (Shoemaker 1-3, Boeger 1-1, Copeland 0-3, Phillips 0-1). Rebounds — Seward County 37 (Kirsteine 7); Barton 37 (Shoemaker 6). Assists — Seward County 17 (Jones 8); Barton 16 (Copeland). Turnovers — Seward County 17; Barton 24. Blocked shots — Seward County 6 (Bognar 6); Barton 3 (Jackson 2).