CCCC women fall to Cougars, 55-41

GREAT BEND — One game removed from setting a season-high record in points in a win over Pratt Community College, the Cloud County Community College Thunderbirds were held to a season low in a 55-41 Jayhawk Conference road loss to 18th-ranked Barton Community College Wednesday night.
Barton, which leads the Jayhawk Conference in defense, allowing 56.3 points per game, limited Cloud County to 26 percent (15 of 58) shooting from the field on its way to a fourth consecutive victory.
“They are physical. They are really physical, and they out-rebounded significantly,” Cloud County coach Brett Erkenbrack said of Barton.
The Cougars had a 43-33 rebounding advantage in the game, and limited the T-Birds to just three second-chance points.
“It is no secret we count on getting second-chance points. We have to get some offensive rebounds and be able to score off of that. And, they out-rebounded us by 10 and they were more physical,” Erkenbrack said.
Cloud County drops to 14-10 overall and 9-9 in conference play with the loss.
Barton, which won both regular season games against Cloud County, improves to 20-4 overall and 14-4 in the conference.
The Cougars are in third place in the Jayhawk, behind Dodge City Community College (17-1) and Butler Community College (15-4).
The T-Birds led Barton just twice in the game.
A basket by Maimouna Sissoko with 6:43 to play in the first quarter gave Cloud County its last lead at 6-5.
The T-Birds would then go 4:44 without scoring.
Morgan Meyers knocked down a pair of three-point shots during a 10-0 spurt that gave Barton a 15-6 advantage.
Meyers, one of just four Cougars to score in the game, hit five threes and finished with 19 points.
Sissoko scored to pull Cloud County to within seven points, 15-8, heading into the second quarter.
The T-Birds scored the first seven points of the second period and tied the game at 15-15 when Alize Ruiz made two free throws with 7:33 remaining in the first half.
The two teams traded baskets over the next four minutes, and Lilly Smith connected on a three to pull Cloud County even with Barton at 22-22.
The T-Birds would not score again over the final 4:28 of the half.
“We didn't have a significantly high number of turnovers (14) but it was a low possession so the turnovers we did have were magnified and we had a couple of stretches where we missed two or three layups or fairly close in scoring opportunities, and we have struggled with that all year,” Erkenbrack sad.
A three-point basket by Meyers and a three-point play by Jenny Nkem Womsi started a 10-0 spurt that gave Barton a 32-22 halftime lead.
Nkem Womsi led all scorers with 22 points and also grabbed 15 rebounds.
Cloud County closed to within nine points early in the second half.
Leading 36-27, the Cougars tossed in six straight points to go up 42-27.
Cloud County got two free throws by Sissoko, a three-point shot by Sarah Lawless and a free throw by Te Araroa Sopoaga in the final 1:13 of the third quarter to get back within nine points, 42-33.
Another three-point play by Nkem Womsi 32 seconds into the final period pushed Barton's lead to 45-33.
Shooting just 20 percent (3 of 15) from the floor over the final 10 minutes, the T-Birds could get no closer than 10 points.
“It was an opportunity lost,” Erkenbrack said. “Had we been able to do better offensively we had a legitimate chance to win the ball game.”
Sissoko led Cloud County with 14 points. She grabbed seven rebounds.
No other T-Bird scored more than seven points.
Nkem Womsi and Meyers combined for 41 of Barton's 55 points.
The T-Birds will play a second straight road game against a ranked opponent when they travel to El Dorado to take on 19th-ranked Butler on Saturday.