The Barton Community College women's basketball team was unable to keep pace with 19th-ranked Hutchinson Community College Wednesday night at Fleske Fieldhouse, falling 65–42 in Jayhawk Conference action.
The Cougars slip to 1–4 in league and 3–8 overall, while the Blue Dragons improve to 9–2 and 4–1 in conference play.
Hutchinson used a pair of early bursts and a disciplined half-court attack to build a 20–10 lead after one, stretching the margin to 38–19 by halftime behind six first-half three-pointers. Barton made its strongest push in the third quarter, trimming into the deficit behind a trio of triples from Kodi Greer, but the Blue Dragons countered with timely baskets and a decisive advantage in the paint to keep the Cougars at arm's length the rest of the way.
Barton wraps up its brief two-game homestand Saturday with a 7:30 p.m. tip hosting Pratt Community College.
Finishing the night shooting just 27.1% from the floor, Regina Donanu led Barton with 12 points and three assists. Greer chipped in nine points on 3-of-6 shooting from deep, while Mary Akinde contributed eight points and five rebounds. Bryndal Moody supplied a spark off the bench with six points, connecting on 2-of-4 beyond the arc.
Turnovers proved costly, as Barton's 21 giveaways led to a 25–0 Hutchinson advantage in points off turnovers, while the Blue Dragons also controlled the paint with an 18-point edge inside despite a near-even rebounding battle.
Hutchinson was paced by Whitney Brown's all-around line of 16 points, seven assists, and four steals. Kaia Smith fueled a 24-point bench scoring advantage with a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double.
Hutchinson turned Barton's early miscues into an uphill climb, capitalizing on three Cougar turnovers in the opening two minutes to jump ahead 7–0. The teams traded threes—Moody ending a 3:45 drought with her first triple, followed by a Donanu answer—but after free throws from Eck and Akinde pulled Barton within 12–10 at the 2:20 mark, the Blue Dragons closed the frame on an 8–0 run to take a 20–10 lead into the first break.
More than four minutes came off the clock before either team scored, with Donanu's final three of the night finally breaking the stalemate. Barton twice drew back within single digits—first on Eva Clements' jumper, then on a pair of Donanu free throws—but Hutchinson responded with an 11–0 burst fueled by transition play and perimeter shooting. The Blue Dragons maintained control the rest of the period, taking a 38–19 lead into halftime.
Barton responded out of halftime with its best offensive quarter of the night, shooting 54.7% while leaning on Greer's perimeter touch. Greer opened the half with a three and added another at 7:47 to provide a brief spark, but Hutchinson countered with eight straight points—including a pair of threes—to balloon its lead to 26. Akinde steadied the Cougars with four straight points, and Greer's third triple of the frame trimmed the margin to 55–34 heading to the fourth.
Moody's second trey of the game capped Barton's 8–0 run across quarters and cut the deficit to 18 with 7:15 remaining, the closest the Cougars would come the rest of the way. Hutchinson answered by stretching the margin to its largest at 65–38 with 2:32 left. Barton closed strong, finishing with a Donanu jumper and a driving layup from Christal Long to set the final at 65–42.