HUTCHINSON, Kan. — KaMyra Barber posted her fourth double-double of the season and No. 20 Hutchinson Community College used a stifling defensive effort to pull away from Barton Community College for a 49-38 KJCCC win Wednesday in the Sports Arena.
Hutchinson won its third straight game and improved to 18-5 overall and 13-4 in league play.
Barber finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and five steals, helping the Blue Dragons turn 22 Barton turnovers into 18 points. Whitney Brown knocked down three 3-pointers and scored 9 points, while Katie Duncan added 9 points and Jamya McPherson came off the bench with 6 points and three assists.
The game was a grind early, with both teams struggling to find clean looks. Barton led 5-2 after the opening quarter as Hutchinson went scoreless for more than three minutes to start and didn’t score its first basket until 6:28. The Cougars, though, couldn’t capitalize, shooting 2 of 15 in the first period while the teams combined for nine turnovers.
Hutchinson steadied itself in the second quarter, getting a spark from its bench and perimeter shooting. Kaia Smith buried a 3-pointer midway through the period to help the Blue Dragons climb back, and Hutchinson used a 9-2 stretch to erase the deficit and tie it at 13-13 late. Barton carried a slim 15-13 lead into the final seconds before Duncan scored on a driving layup with three seconds left, evening the game at 15-all at halftime.
The Blue Dragons seized control coming out of the break. Barber scored twice early in the third and Duncan drained a 3-pointer to give Hutchinson its first separation. After Barton briefly pulled even at 23-23, Hutchinson answered with a decisive run sparked by defense. Barber hit a 3 and later finished a layup off a turnover, and Duncan closed the quarter with a steal and layup at the horn to send Hutchinson into the fourth up 33-26.
Barton made one final push early in the fourth behind Mary Akinde, who scored inside and drew fouls as the Cougars trimmed the margin. But Hutchinson’s defense tightened again, forcing empty possessions and turning rebounds into transition chances. Brown connected on two 3-pointers in a one-minute span (4:40 and 3:39) to stretch the lead to 44-33, and the Blue Dragons finished the final minutes by holding Barton without a field goal during a key late stretch.
Despite being outrebounded 41-36, Hutchinson won the turnover battle 22-15 and generated a 16-4 edge in fastbreak points. The Blue Dragons shot 35.1% overall and made 5 of 18 from 3-point range, while Barton shot 29.6% and went 1 of 10 from deep.
Barton was led by Regina Donanu with 14 points and three assists, while Akinde had 13 points and 16 rebounds. The Cougars were held to 12 points in each of the final two quarters.
Hutchinson will travel to Arkansas City on Saturday to face Cowley. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. from W.S. Scott Auditorium.