Perhaps memories of their Jan. 16 meeting with Barton Community College’s women’s basketball team was fresh in the No. 1-ranked Hutchinson Lady Blue Dragons’ minds. The Lady Cougars took an early lead in that game, and held it for a majority of the first half.
Whatever the reason, Hutchinson didn’t waste any time on Wednesday night, taking a dominating lead in heading to a 104-64 Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Western Division victory at Kirkman Activity Center.
“We didn’t make shots early, and then, if we don’t make shots, it’s hard for us to play with energy,” Barton head coach Carter Kruger said. “Then we kind of quit. We quit.”
It was the highest point total that Hutchinson has ever managed in 78 games against the Lady Cougars. The second-highest was an 81-58 Lady Blue Dragons victory on Jan. 20, 2011.
Barton’s losing streak has reached seven games, the longest skid in Lady Cougars history. They fall to 12-14 overall and 2-11 in the West.
“We’ve got a bye (on Saturday), so we have a lot of time to think it over,” said Kruger, whose team is idle until Wednesday night’s game at Colby, starting at 6. “We need some physical rest. I think that’s part of it. We just need to regroup and try to come up with some new goals and some new ways to get us motivated.
“Right now, every goal that we’ve had isn’t necessarily achievable now. We need to come together.”
Hutch, which sits at the top of the West standings, improves to 25-1, 11-1.
A barrage of 3-pointers, and a multitude of Barton turnovers led Hutchinson to a 53-24 lead at halftime.
Jade Herl and Jen’Von’Ta Hill rattled in a pair of 3s apiece, and Chrisstasia Walter and Jamie Patrick each added another as the Lady Blue Dragons went 6-for-13 from 3-point range in the first 20 minutes.
“Unchallenged 3s, we talked about this,” Kruger said. “We’re going to let them shoot 3s, but we have to make sure we force tough shots and force them over a hand. They were shooting wide-open 3s. When we get beat badly, every team shoots wide-open shots, and we struggle to contain them.”
Hill finished with a game-high 26 points, going 9-for-11 from the field for Hutchinson. Aja Sorrells added 15 points, and Patterson scored 14.
The Lady Cougars shot 33.3 percent from the field when they got the ball to the other end, but they had 14 turnovers in the first half, which helped Hutch build its large early lead.
Erin Copeland led the Lady Cougars with 20 points. Fellow sophomore Blair Bloomfield added 13.
Barton finished with more than double Hutch’s turnovers — 27-13.
In a night when nothing seemed to go right, the Lady Cougars shot 26-for-30 (86.7 percent) from the free-throw line as a small consolation.
JUNIOR COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference
Western Division
WOMEN
Wednesday
At Great Bend
Kirkman Activity Center
LT & Sheila Fleske Court
No. 1 Hutchinson
Community College 104,
Barton 64
HUTCHINSON (25-1, 11-1)
Jen’Von’Ta Hill 9-11 6-8 26, Aja Sorrells 5-7 5-5 15, Jasmine Patterson 4-10 6-7 14, Jamie Patrick 2-8 2-2 8, Chrisstasia Walter 3-10 1-2 8, Kyrsten Crawford 3-3 0-0 7, Jade Herl 2-4 1-1 7, Kiarra Jones 1-2 3-4 5, Stacy Mgbike 2-2 1-5 5, Hannah Henry 2-3 0-0 5, Briana Starks 2-3 0-0 4. Totals 35-63 25-34 104.
BARTON (12-14, 2-11)
Erin Copeland 5-9 8-9 20, Blair Bloomfield 2-7 8-8 13, Taylor Mayes 1-2 6-6 8, Ashton Bruner 2-9 2-2 6, Taschell Phillips 3-7 0-0 6, Kailai Brantner 2-5 1-2 5, Brandy Winbush 1-3 0-0 3, Ta’Kerra Williams 1-2 1-3 3, Jennifer Allende 0-1 0-0 0, Jackie Bueno 0-2 0-0 0, Kelsey Keith 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 17-50 26-30 64.
Halftime — Hutchinson 53, Barton 24. Three-point goals — Hutchinson 9-17 (Herl 2-3, Patrick 2-7, Hill 2-2, Walter 1-3, Crawford 1-1, Henry 1-1), Barton 4-18 (Copeland 2-5, Winbush 1-2, Bloomfield 1-6, Brantner 0-1, Allende 0-1, Keith 0-3). Rebounds — Hutchinson 33 (Sorrells 6); Barton 34 (Williams 5, Bueno 5, Bruner 5). Assists — Hutchinson 23 (Hill 5); Barton 6 (Brantner 2, Copeland 2, Bruner 2). Steals — Hutchinson 12 (Walter 5); Barton 6 (Brantner 2, Copeland 2). Turnovers — Barton 27, Hutchinson 13. Total fouls — Hutchinson 20, Barton 19. Fouled out — Barton (Mayes); Hutchinson (None).
