Steve Carpenter-HCC Sports Information
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
PARK CITY – Samajae Haynes-Jones scored with 0.4 seconds left in regulation to force overtime, but the No. 2-ranked Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball team came up a bit short in the extra session of the Region VI Tournament championship game on Wednesday against Coffeyville at Hartman Arena.
One night after winning a nail-biting semifinal battle over Butler, the Blue Dragons fell in a heart-stopping overtime championship game, 91-88, to the Red Ravens.
Coffeyville is the only team to defeat Hutchinson this season. The Jayhawk Conference champion Blue Dragons are 31-2 overall. Hutchinson must wait to see of it makes the NJCAA Tournament field of 24 as one of the four at-large teams. That selection will be made on Sunday.
If the Dragons qualify, it would be their 20th all-time national tournament appearance and the fourth since 2013.
The Blue Dragons have played in five consecutive Region VI Tournament championship games. Last season, Hutch was upset by Neosho County.
Hutchinson led 36-32 at halftime, but the Red Ravens scored 6 of the first 8 points of the second half.
The Blue Dragons had trouble containing the Red Raven duo of Tedrick Wolfe and Travis Washington. Wolfe had a team-high 28 points on 11 of 18 shooting, while Washington added 21 points. Those two players continually hit big shots for the Ravens in the second half and overtime.
Coffeyville outscored the Blue Dragons 18-15 in overtime and didn’t miss a shot in the extra session. The Red Ravens were 6 of 6 overall, including a pair of 3-pointers. They were 4 of 4 from the free-throw line as well.
J.J. Rhymes had a career-high 32 points on 12 of 24 shooting to lead Hutchinson.
Shakur Juiston had his 22nd double-double of the season with 16 points and 15 results with six assists. Kai Mitchell had 15 points off the bench and Haynes-Jones finished with 10 points.
The Blue Dragons shot 33 of 74 from the field (44.6 percent). The Dragons were 3 of 14 from 3-poitn range and 19 of 24 from the free-throw line. The Dragons owned a 47-36 rebounding advantage, but turned the ball over 15 times.
Coffeyville shot 46.8 percent from the floor, going 4 of 14 from 3-point range and 15 of 22 from the foul line. The Ravens had only eight turnovers.
Coffeyville will enter the NJCAA Tournament with a 22-12 overall record.
Juiston, Haynes-Jones, Rhymes and Devonte Bandoo were all named to the 2017 Region VI Tournament All-Tournament team.