The 16th ranked Barton Community College women's basketball team broke open a tight halftime game with a big third quarter Friday at Wichita's Friends University to eliminate Butler Community College 59-43 in the Region VI semifinals.
Advancing to the championship game for the 4th straight year, the Cougars swept all three of the season's meetings against the Grizzlies improving to 25-7 on the year with Butler, receiving votes in the final NJCAA poll, drops to 23-7.
Next up is the region title match at 3:00 p.m. Saturday against 5th seed Coffeyville Community College as the Red Ravens knocked off top seed and 10th ranked Dodge City Community College 75-65 in overtime improving to 21-12 on the season.
Barton canned ten three-pointers on the night, seven coming in the opening twenty minutes leading to a 25-22 edge.
Following a Butler bucket to open the third frame, the Cougars went on a 14-0 run over the next four minutes led by Jenny Nkem Womsi's six points and pair of Quezia Bertoni' triples to break it open.
Holding the Grizzlies to just eight third quarter points, the Cougars kept Butler from getting any closer than eleven in the final ten minutes with Morgan Meyers dashing any hope of a late comeback by dropping her 5th trey of the game with 1:04 remaining in matching Barton's largest lead of sixteen points.
Meyers led all players with 17 points as Womsi completed her 10 point and 11 rebound night in fouling out with 3:12 remaining for her 23rd double-double of the season.
Leading by eleven following Womsi's exit, Mikaela Hall filled the vacuum providing timely plays thwarting Butler momentum with four straight in finishing with 13 points and 8 rebounds.
Butler got out to an 8-0 lead with Meyers' triple halting Barton's over four minute drought to begin the game. The Grizzlies countered with their own trey but Hall's four straight and consecutive Brennan Kirchhoff and Acorionna Lard three-pointers closed out the final four minutes on a 10-0 run for a 13-11 lead.
Following a Grizzly bucket to open up the second period, Lard canned another to eventually finish with 8 points and 4 assists. Meyers canned three more arc busters in the period as all Barton's twelve points came via the long ball.
Kirchhoff finished with just the lone trey but led Barton's 18 assists on 22 field goals with a game high six.
Jaila Harding led Butler with 11 points and 10 rebounds while Freddie Wallace was held thirteen points below her average, scoring her first bucket with 6:40 remaining in finishing with four points.