The Barton Community College women’s basketball team watched a dramatic finish swing the wrong way Saturday afternoon at Fleske Fieldhouse, as Garden City Community College’s Marshea Fisher buried a running 12-footer at the buzzer to hand the Cougars a 70–69 Jayhawk Conference setback.
Garden City controlled much of the night behind four first-half threes, but Barton stayed attached and briefly grabbed its first lead late in the half on Alaina Eck‘s go-ahead triple before the Broncbusters carried a 31–30 edge into the break.
The visitors again set the tone early in the third, yet the Cougars chipped back within 53–50 entering the fourth, then traded punches down the stretch with four ties, the last at 66–66 in the final minute. After Barton’s potential go-ahead rimmed out and a turnover followed an offensive rebound, Eck’s late steal sparked Mersadie Spray‘s three-point play to put Barton up 69–68 with 2.8 seconds left, only for Marshea Fisher to answer with a buzzer-beating runner after Garden City advanced the ball with its final timeout.
Barton closes the fall portion of the schedule at 3-5 in conference and 5-9 overall while Garden City improves to 4-2 in league and 10-2 on the season. The Cougars next action comes January 3 hosting No. 14 Butler.
Eck led all players by producing a 20-point afternoon, draining a season-best 3-of-7 beyond the arc with three steals, grabbing six rebounds, and dishing out a pair of assists.
The long awaited debut of Great Bend’s Spray delivered immediate impact, highlighted by her near game-winning and-one conversion. Coming off the bench, Spray’s spark provided 14 points with five rebounds and four assists.
Christal Long also chalked up a career afternoon, recording her first collegiate debut coming on career highs of 13 points and 13 rebounds while matching Spray’s team high four assists.
Barton won the glass in a landslide, 42–23, including Long’s nine leading a massive 17–4 edge in offensive rebounds, with Mary Akinde hauling down 7 boards along with 9 points.
Garden City was led by Elektra Mjoll and London Turner’s 17 points each while Fisher filled the stat sheet with 15 points and a team high 9 rebounds, 6 assists, three steals, and the game-winning basket.
