Missing opportunities to win at the end of regulation and the first overtime, the No. 3-ranked Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team dominated the second overtime on Friday night to defeat Division II, No. 2 Johnson County 85-77 in the Ramada Thanksgiving Classic.
Hutchinson (7-0) led by 11 points with 14:14 to play in the second half, but saw Johnson County bomb away from outside, hitting five 3-pointers in the final 7 minutes and led the Lady Dragons 60-59 after an Ameshia Kearney 3-pointer with 59 seconds left in regulation time. HCC’s Alysse Barlow hit 1 of 2 free throws with 39 seconds left to tie the game at 60-all. Then both teams missed point-blank shots in the final 20 seconds to send HCC to overtime for the first time this season.
Johnson County (7-1) led 68-63 with 1:29 to play in the first over time when sophomore Laura Patrick hit the biggest 3-pointer of the season to cut the Lady Dragon deficit to two with 1:12 to play. The Cavaliers led 71-69 with 11 seconds left when Barlow drove the length of the floor and scored while surrounded by three Johnson County players to tie the game at 71-71 with 3 seconds left.
HCC scored the first seven and 10 of the first 11 points of the second overtime, taking a 78-71 lead on two Jasmine Patterson free throws with 1:59 to play. The Lady Dragons put the game away at the free-throw line in the second overtime, hitting 10 of 11 from the stripe. Johnson County was 1 of 11 shooting in the second extra period, getting only one Amy Briggs’ 3-point goal to cut the HCC lead to 82-75 with 1:04 to go.
Barlow scored a season-high 22 points to lead the Lady Dragons. She scored the final three points of regulation and the final five points of the first overtime. Barlow added five assists and two steals.
Sophomore Jackie Patterson, who scored the first five points and had seven points in the second overtime, finished with a season-high tying 17 points with seven rebounds. Sophomore Laura Patrick had a perfect night shooting with 13 points on 4 of 4 shooting, 2 of 2 from 3-point range and 3 of 3 from the foul line. Jasmine Patterson had 12 points and a career-high four blocked shots.
The Lady Dragons shot 45.5 percent from the field (25 of 55), including 5 of 12 from 3-point range and 30 of 44 from the free-throw line. HCC had just 13 turnovers.
Hutchinson was decisively out-rebounded for the first time this year, 55-37, including 18-2 on the offensive glass.
Johnson County shot a season-low 31.4 percent from the field (22 of 70). The Cavaliers were 13 of 33 from 3-point range – Johnson County didn’t have a two-point field goal from the 7:45 mark of the second half and through both overtime periods. The Cavaliers were 20 of 29 from the free-throw line.
Amy Briggs led five Cavalier players in double figures with 17 points, hitting 5 of 14 from 3-point range. Polly Harrington had a double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds. Kearney also had 16 points, followed by Brianna Kulas with 12 and Tanchelle Hollingsworth with 11 points.
The Lady Dragons will play Lamar at 5:30 p.m. Saturday to close out the Ramada Thanksgiving Classic.
GAME NOTES – The victory extends HCC’s home-court winning streak to 46. … This was the Lady Dragons’ first overtime victory in four overtimes in the John Ontjes era. … The last HCC overtime came in the opening round of the 2009 NJCAA Tournament against Vincennes University, a 60-59 loss. … This was only the second double-overtime game in program history. The last came on Jan. 20, 1999 against Colby (Colby won 84-82). … HCC is only 2-8 in its last 10 overtimes. … HCC is 8-12 all-time in overtime games. … HCC’s largest lead of the game was 22-10 in the first half.
(HCC Sports Information)