[ By STEVE CARPENTER ]
[ HCC SPORTS INFORMATION ]
Photo courtesy of Joel Powers, HCC Sports Information
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The No. 6-ranked Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball team aims for its second-straight Jayhawk Conference road victory on Wednesday when the Blue Dragons travel to Cloud County on Wednesday in Concordia.
Game time at Cloud County’s Thunderdome is 8 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on Blue Dragon flagship station KHUT-FM (102.9) and on sister stations KWBW-AM/FM (1450, 98.5) beginning at 7:50 p.m. The game will also be streamed live on the Blue Dragon Sports Network.
The Blue Dragons close a grueling two-game road trip to start the 2016-17 Jayhawk Conference season with the Thunderbirds on Wednesday. Hutchinson opened conference play with a 95-87 victory on Saturday at Seward County.
BLUE DRAGON MEN’S BASKETBALL
NO. 6 HUTCHINSON (5-0, 1-0) at CLOUD COUNTY (5-0, 1-0)
When: Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Where: Thunderdome, Concordia, KS
Game time: 8 p.m.
Radio: KHUT-FM (102.9); KWBW-AM/FM (1450, 98.5), 7:50 p.m.
Video: Blue Dragon Sports Network, 7:50 p.m.
Twitter: @bluedragonsport
Hutchinson shot 55.2 percent for the game, the fourth-straight game to shoot better than 50 percent, but missed 13 turnovers in the second half and committed 20 turnovers that helped keep the game close. Freshman. J.J. Rhymes had 24 points and sophomore Samajae Haynes-Jones had 22 for HCC, while Shakur Juiston had his third double-double of the season with 17 points and 12 rebounds.
Through four games, Rhymes is Hutchinson’s leading scorer at 15.8 points while shooting just shy of 50 percent. Juiston is at 15.2 points on 70.5 percent shooting with 10.2 rebounds per game. Haynes-Jones is at 13.2 points per game.
The Blue Dragons are averaging 94.6 points per game while shooting 52.3 percent from the field, 32.4 percent from 3-point range. Defensively, Hutchinson is allowing 66.4 points and allowing opponents to shoot 35.2 percent, but opposing teams are hitting 8.2 3-pointers per game at a 33.6 percent clip.
Cloud County is off to an equal start of the Blue Dragons at 5-0 and 1-0 in conference play. The Thunderbirds went on the road and defeated Dodge City, picked second in the Jayhawk Conference preseason poll, 81-75 on Saturday in Dodge City.
Andrew Ballock had four 3-pointers and finished with 24 points, nine rebounds and five steals. Deon Lyle added 17 points with three 3-pointers.
Five players average in double figures for Cloud County led by Lavar Harewood at 12.8 points per game. The Thunderbirds are averaging 90.6 points per game, shooting 47.8 percent overall and 35 percent from 3-point range. Opponents are scoring 63.6 points and are shooting 39.3 percent overall and 26.4 percent from 3-point range.
The Blue Dragons are 15-13 against Cloud County in games played in Concordia, winning three of the last four at the Thunderdome. Hutchinson won 70-60 in Concordia and 79-45 at the Sports Arena last season.
HCC WOMEN
The No. 9-ranked Blue Dragon women’s basketball team looks to avoid a 0-2 start to the Jayhawk Conference season, but will try to do so against one of the hottest teams in the early going on Wednesday.
The Blue Dragons (2-1, 0-1 KJCCC) travel to Cloud County (4-0, 1-0) at 6 p.m. at the Thunderdome in Concordia. The game will be broadcast live on Blue Dragon flagship station KHUT-FM (102.9) and on sister stations KWBW-AM/FM (1450, 98.5) and be videosteamed live on the Blue Dragon Sports Network.
With one of the toughest starts of any team in the league – on the road both at Seward County and Cloud County – the Blue Dragons are still smarting from Saturday’s 77-70 overtime loss to the Saints in Liberal. Hutchinson rallied from 10 points down in regulation to force overtime, but Seward County scored the first eight points of overtime to grab control of the game.
BLUE DRAGON WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
NO. 9 HUTCHINSON (2-1, 0-1) at CLOUD COUNTY (4-0, 1-0)
When: Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Where: Thunderdome, Concordia, KS
Game time: 6 p.m.
Radio: KHUT-FM (102.9); KWBW-AM/FM (1450, 98.5), 5:55 p.m.
Video: Blue Dragon Sports Network, 5:55 p.m.
Twitter: @bluedragonsport
Despite hitting 10 3-pointers in the game, the Blue Dragons shot 31 percent for the game, going 0 for 12 in the second quarter against the Saints. Sophomore Lakin Preisner had 21 points with four 3-pointers. Inja Butina had 14 points and Taylor Stahly added 12.
The Blue Dragons come into the game averaging 88.0 points per game, shooting 46.0 percent overall and 45.0 percent from 3-point range. Defensively, Hutch is allowing 50.0 points per game while opponents are shooting 35.2 percent overall and 25.5 percent from long range.
Stahly is Hutchinson’s leading scorer through three games at 14.3 points. Preisner is at 13.7 points and sophomore Kirea Rogers is at 11.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
Cloud County defeated Dodge City 72-62 to open conference play on Wednesday. Sophomore Erin Alexander, who was named the conference’s player of the week on Tuesday, had 22 points and 21 rebounds against the Conquistadors, while Simone Walker had a double-double with 21 points and 10 boards.
Alexander is Cloud County’s leading scorer at 15.3 points and 14.3 rebounds per game. Walker is at 15.3 points and 9.0 boards.
For the season, the Thunderbirds are averaging 82.3 points while shooting 43.2 percent overall and 26.8 percent from 3-point range. Defensively, Cloud County is allowing 51.5 points, 30.2 percent overall shooting and 34.8 percent from 3-point range.
Last season the Blue Dragons won 62-51 at Cloud County. But the Thunderbirds came into the Sports Arena and ended Hutch’s 132-game home-court winning streak with a 67-65 win over the Blue Dragons.