Sometimes it is as simple as putting the ball in the basket. A lot of different factors weigh into a team’s ability to win a basketball game but it can also be as simple as if a team can’t make a basket it can’t score and it can’t win.
That was the problem for the Barton Community College women Saturday afternoon at Butler Community College. The Cougars shot less than 30 percent during the loss and were only able to put up 37 points – a total that doesn’t win many games. Butler won the contest 61-37 at the Power Plant.
“Once again, we competed very, very hard,” Coach Carter Kruger said. “We just didn’t make enough shots early to keep us in the game through the first half.  Once we started running our offense plus making the good shots we earned, we proved we could score against a great defensive team.”  
The Jayhawk West setback dropped the Cougars 1-2 in the conference and 11-4 overall. Butler improved to 2-1 and 12-4.
The shooting woes began from the opening tip for Barton. The Cougars hit just 1 of their first 8 shots and committed four turnovers during the game’s first eight minutes. That allowed Butler to build a 12-3 lead.
Following a 3-pointer by Cierra Lampe to make it 12-6 the Cougars embarked on a six-minute scoreless stretch that saw them miss all five shots and turn the ball over four more times as Butler pushed its lead to 23-6 with six minutes to play in the opening half.
Barton went to intermission down 28-12 and were never able to recover from its sluggish start. Barton would not get closer than 13 points in the second half and that came early as Butler was never in jeopardy of losing its lead.
Phikala Anthony continue her string of double-doubles record her third straight with a 10-point, 12-rebound effort. It was the sophomores fifth on the season. Lampe added 10 as well.
The Cougars shot just 28 percent from the field, 26 percent from behind the 3-point line and just 42 percent from the free throw line.
Ashley Gibson paced the Grizzlies 21 points and Kate Palmer added 15. Butler’s only West loss this season is to No. 2 Hutchinson.
“Our young players are continuing to get a taste of what life in the Jayhawk West is like,” Coach Kruger said. “Our freshmen are playing around 70 percent of our minutes and that’s the complete opposite for most of our competition. We need them to grow up quickly to compete against teams like Butler and Seward.”