[ By STEVE CARPENTER ]

[ BLUE DRAGON SPORTS INFORMATION ]

EL DORADO, Kan. — Throughout the first 187 meetings between the Hutchinson Community College and Butler men’s basketball teams, there have been so many memorable, heart-stopping battles.

Game No. 188, played Wednesday night at the Power Plant, may have topped them all.

The Blue Dragons had only two leads on Wednesday – 2-0 and when the clock struck all zeros at the final buzzer.

In between those points in time, the sixth-ranked Blue Dragons fell behind by as many as 26 points and then embarked on the largest comeback in program history in Hutchinson’s 82-81 Jayhawk Conference victory over the Grizzlies.

Rhymes scored a career-high 41 points to lead the comeback. Trailing 81-79 with 6.9 seconds to play, Butler missed two free throws that would have iced the win. Instead the Dragons pushed the ball up the floor and Rhymes shot a guarded 3-pointer from 23 feet. The ball hit the front rim twice before falling in to complete the historic comeback.

The Dragons won their sixth-straight game and improve to 11-1 overall and 7-1 in the Jayhawk Conference. Butler falls to 5-6 overall, 2-6 in league play.

Hutchinson’s previous largest comeback was 24 points 2006 Jayhawk Conference Shootout against Johnson County. The previous largest comeback in the Steve Eck era was 19 points against North Lake College on October 31, 2015.

The first half was nightmarish for the Blue Dragons:

+ After Sal Nuhu hit Hutch’s first shot attempt of the game, the Blue Dragons then missed their next 15 shots over a span of 11 minutes. The Dragons were down 24-3 when Rhymes hit Hutch’s second field goal of the game at the 8:35 mark of the half.

+ Butler increased its lead to 36-10 with 4:42 to go on a Russell Smith jumper.

+ The Dragons managed to shave off eight points of that deficit by halftime (41-23). The lowest scoring half this season saw the Blue Dragons make only 9 of 29 shots in the opening 20 minutes.

+ As the teams were headed to the locker room at halftime, Eck was assessed his second technical foul of the game and was ejected for the first time in his 39 seasons as a coach. That meant assistant coach Reggie Freeman took over on the bench.

The first 35 seconds of the second half weren’t any better as Butler scored seven quick points to build a 25-point lead at 48-23 with 19:25 to play. Rhymes, who had nine points at halftime, stopped that run with a slashing move to the hoop and started the comeback.

Rhymes, whose 41 points ties Kadeem Allen for the fifth-most points scored in a Blue Dragon game, scored 32 points in the second half on 11 of 13 shooting and 9 of 14 shooting from the foul line. Rhymes is the first Blue Dragon to score 40 or more points in a game since Bashir Ahmed tied the school record with 46 points in a 2016 triple-overtime loss to Cowley at the Sports Arena. For the game, Rhymes was 15 of 23 from the field and 10 of 16 from the foul line in becoming the seventh Blue Dragon ever to score 40 or more points in a game.

Curtis Hollis, who nailed a key late 3-pointer in the game’s final 30 seconds was next with 10 points. Devonte Bandoo had nine points and Rob Whitfield had eight, including two huge second-half 3-pointers during the comeback.

The Blue Dragons finished 30 of 62 shooting (48.4 percent), going 6 of 15 from the 3-point line and 16 of 24 from the foul line. The Dragons had only 12 turnovers, but were out-rebounded 37-33.

Ketarrious Bouchum and Smith had 21 points each to lead the Grizzlies, who finished 29 of 59 shooting (49.2 percent), hitting 6 of 18 from 3-point range and 17 of 23 from the foul line. The Grizzlies had 16 turnovers.

Midway through the second half, a Blue Dragon comeback seemed unlikely after a Bouchum 3-pointer with 10:28 left gave the Grizzlies a 69-47 lead. Over the next 7 1/2 minutes, the Blue Dragons went on a 20-2 run and pulled within 71-67 after a Rhymes basket with 3:01 to play.

The Dragons kept slicing away and cut the lead to 73-72 after a Bandoo 3-pointer with 2:12 left. The Grizzlies scored four quick points to rebuild a five-point lead. Butler maintained that lead at 81-76 with 16 seconds left after two Bouchum free throws. Hollis quickly hit a 3-pointer with 11 seconds left to pull within 81-79. That set up the two missed Butler free throws with 6.9 seconds left and Rhymes’ game-winner.

The Blue Dragons turned their shooting fortunes around with 63.6 percent shooting (21 of 33) in the second half. The Grizzlies shot 50 percent (14 of 28) in the second half.

Hutchinson will battle Barton at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Sports Arena in a battle of two of the three teams tied for first place in the Jayhawk Conference.

*Glen Grunwald and Rusty Hilst of Eagle Sports on Country 102.9 and KWBW 1450 AM/98.5 FM

 

Blue Dragons survive foul trouble against Butler

[ By STEVE CARPENTER ]

[ BLUE DRAGON SPORTS INFORMATION ]

EL DORADO, Kan. — After building a 17-point lead with 2 minutes, 44 seconds left in the third quarter, the Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team survived a lot to earn a 59-53 Jayhawk Conference victory over the Butler Grizzlies on Wednesday at the Power Plant.

Hutchinson won its sixth-straight game and improved to 8-2 overall and 6-2 in the league. Butler falls to 6-5 overall and 3-5 in the conference.

The Blue Dragons led 44-27 with 2:44 remaining in the third quarter. From that point, the Dragons had plenty work against them down the stretch.

+ Mired with foul trouble from the first quarter, Sara Cramer fouled out, while Jada Mickens, Alicia Brown, Dejanae Roebuck and Kayla Barber all had four fouls. The Dragons were whistled for 28 of the game’s 58 combined fouls.

+ Hutchinson scored only two field goals in the final 13 minutes, 30 seconds and didn’t have a field goal for the final 9:20 of the contest.

+ The Dragons missed 13 free throws, including nine in the fourth quarter.

+ Hutch committed 13 of their 23 turnovers in the second half.

With the lead down to 55-53 with 18 seconds to play after Butler’s Awreona Ransom scored, the Blue Dragons missed two free throws giving the Grizzlies a chance to tie or take the lead. Butler’s Erika Mattingly drove to the basket and had Coretta Hopkins step in to take a charge with 5.5 seconds to play. The Dragons hit 3 of 6 free throws in the final 5.5 seconds to finally seal the victory.

Roebuck posted her fifth double-double of the season with a game-high 15 points and 11 rebounds. She was 8 of 12 from the free-throw line.

Tia Bradshaw finished with nine points, while Cramer, Barger and Vivian Chigbu had eight points each.

The Blue Dragons shot 37.2 percent for the game (16 of 43), going 6 of 19 from 3-point range and 21 of 34 free throws. The Dragons out-rebounded Butler 41-35.

Mattingtly led the Grizzlies with 11 points on 4 of 21 shooting. Jalise Smallwood had 10 points. Butler shot 27.6 percent for the game (16 of 58), going 3 of 15 from 3-point range and 18 of 30 from the foul line. The Grizzlies turned the ball over 12 times, but had 15 steals.

The Blue Dragons got off to a great start jumping out to a 13-4 lead after a Roebuck 3-pointer with 5:06 remaining in the first quarter. The Dragons hit 7 of 14 shots, but foul trouble started to have an effect on the Dragons. A Chigbu basket with 2:04 left in the quarter gave the Dragons a 17-7 lead. The Grizzlies then scored six unanswered points and cut the Hutch lead to 17-13 with 20 seconds left after a Taylor Birch bucket with 20 seconds left Chigbu hit two free throws with 6 seconds left and Hutch led 19-13 after one quarter.

There were only six combined points in the first 5 minutes of the second quarter. Hutch lead was 22-17 with 4:22 remaining and Hutch closed the half on a 10-3 run to lead 32-20 at halftime. The Blue Dragons held Butler to 0 of 15 shooting in the second quarter.

Mickens, who was strapped with foul trouble throughout the game, scored with 8:46 to play in the third to give the Dragons a 34-20 lead. The Grizzlies then snapped a field-goal drought that lasted 13 minutes, 54 seconds when Taylor Birch hit a 3-pointer with 6:36 to play in the period. The Dragons built a 16-point lead at 42-26 after Barber rattled home a 3-pointer with 3:30 left. The Dragon lead grew to a game-high 44-27 lead after two Roebuck free throws with 2:44 left capped a 9-1 run. The Grizzlies scored the final seven points of the period, but Hutch still led 44-34 heading into the fourth quarter.

Hopkins scored with 9:20 remaining to give the Dragons a 46-34 lead. That turned out to be the Blue Dragons’ final field goal of the game. The Dragons missed their final seven shot attempts, but hit 13 of 22 free throws to keep the Grizzlies at arm’s length. Hutch led 52-39 after two Roebuck free throws with 5:10 left. The Grizzlies closed the gap to 55-53 with 18 seconds left.

Hutchinson will play its final pre-Christmas game on Saturday when the Blue Dragons meet the Barton Cougars at 5:30 p.m. at the Sports Arena.

[ By STEVE CARPENTER ]

[ BLUE DRAGON SPORTS INFORMATION ]

GARDEN CITY, Kan. – The Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball team earned a Jayhawk Conference road victory at one of the tougher venues in the league Saturday night.

Devonte Bandoo broke a tie game with 35 seconds left in regulation and the No. 1 Blue Dragons defeated the Garden City Broncbusters 68-64 at Conestoga Arena.

The No. 1-ranked Blue Dragons won their fifth game in a row despite scoring a season low offensive output. Hutchinson improves to 10-1 overall and remained in a first-place in the Jayhawk at 6-1. Garden City falls to 8-3 overall and 4-3 in the league.

The intense defensive battle featured seven ties and five lead changes, but the Dragons looked like they were taking charge with just more than 7 minutes to play when Hutchinson led 55-45. But the Broncbusters, who were 4-0 at Conestoga Arena entering play on Saturday, rallied to tie the game at 64 with 1:17 left when Pierre Johnson penetrated and scored. After trading missed shots, the Dragons quickly moved the ball up the floor and Bandoo pulled up from 17 feet on the right wing and buried a jumper with 35 seconds to play to give the Blue Dragons a 66-64 lead. The Busters missed a 3-pointer and a wild scramble for the rebound led to a jump ball. The Dragons had possession in their favor. J.J. Rhymes converted just before the final buzzer for the final margin.

Rhymes led the Blue Dragons with 15 points on 6 of 12 shooting. Bandoo hit a pair of 3-pointers and finished with 11 points. James Rojas was the only other Blue Dragon in double figures with 10 points. Kai Mitchell had nine points off the bench and Rheaquone had eight points and a team-high eight rebounds.

The Blue Dragons were limited to 34.9 percent shooting (22 of 63), going just 3 of 9 from 3-point range and 21 of 32 from the foul line. The Dragons owned a 50-35 advantage in rebounding.

Garden City was led by Jamir Thomas’ game-high 23 points. Johnson had 14 points. The Busters finished with 25 of 64 shooting (39.4 percent). Garden City was 5 of 21 from 3-point range and 9 of 15 from the foul line.

The Blue Dragons trailed 11-6 just 5 minutes into the game, but battled back to take their first lead of the game when Taylor scored after a Rojas steal to lead 12-11 with 13:11 remaining in the first half. When Rojas scored at the 10:15 mark of the half, Hutch led by five at 21-16.

Mitchell scored inside with 4:18 left to give Hutch a 29-21 lead. The Busters pulled back within 32-28 with 1:51 to play. With some first-half foul trouble, Josh Creach came off the bench to score six points and pull down four rebounds in the first half. His tip-in with 1:26 to go gave the Dragons a 34-28 advantage. Neither team scored in the final minute and the Blue Dragons carried that 34-28 lead into halftime.

Garden City tied the game at 39 with 14:03 to play in the game and took a 42-41 lead after a Russ Cruickshank 3-pointer with 13:20 to play. The Dragons responded with a 6-0 run and led 47-42 after a Mitchell bucket with 11:29 to play.

The Dragons battled in the second half despite shooting only 35.7 percent. The Dragons were 13 of 20 from the free-throw line.

Leading 47-45, the Dragons went on an 8-0 run to lead 55-45 lead after a Curtis Hollis free throw with 7:13 remaining. The Blue Dragons had just one field goal after the next 6 1/2 minutes and Garden City came back to tie the game at 54 with 1:17 left in regulation.

Bandoo broke that streak with his go-ahead jumper with 35 seconds to play in the game.

Hutchinson travels to Butler on Wednesday for a 7:30 p.m. matchup at the Power Plant in El Dorado.

 

Brown leads charge against Busters

[ By STEVE CARPENTER ]

[ BLUE DRAGON SPORTS INFORMATION ]

GARDEN CITY, Kan. – For the third-straight game sophomore Alicia Brown scored a career high to lead four players in double figures as the No. 12 Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team ran its winning streak to five after a 73-59 victory over the Garden City Broncbusters at Conestoga Arena.

One week ago at Neosho County, Brown established a career high with 19 points. On Wednesday, Brown produced her first career 20-point game. On Saturday at Garden City, Brown topped that with a career-best 21-point performance, hitting 7 of 13 from the field with two 3-pointers and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line.

The Blue Dragons improve to 7-2 overall and 5-2 in conference play. The Broncbusters fall to 5-5, 3-4 in the Jayhawk.

Hutchinson shot a blistering 70.6 in the third and fourth quarters as the Blue Dragons extended a seven-point lead to as large as 24 points in the second half. The Blue Dragons were once again plagued by turnovers with 17 of their 23 turnovers in the second half. Garden City scored 24 points of Dragon turnovers.

The Blue Dragons had four players scoring in double figures for the first time this season.

Freshman Jada Mickens had her fourth double-double with 16 points and 17 rebounds. Mickens scored 14 points in the second half.

Tia Bradshaw had two 3-pointers and finished with 15 points. Dejanae Roebuck hit two 3-pointers and finished with 12 points and seven boards.

Hutchinson shot 46.9 percent overall (23 of 49), going 7 of 15 from 3-point range and 20 of 28 from the free-throw line. The Blue Dragons owned a 46-32 rebounding advantage.

Jada Washington had 11 points and Kala Jones had 10 points to lead Garden City. The Busters shot 19 of 66 (31.3 percent), going 7 of 31 from 3-point range and 14 of 18 from the free-throw line. The Busters had 12 turnovers.

Garden City led by as many as four points in the first quarter before the Blue Dragons rallied to take an 11-10 lead after one quarter. The Busters used an 11-3 run and built their largest lead of the game at 19-14 after a Talia Roberts 3-pointer with 7:12 to play in the second quarter. The Blue Dragons then scored seven unanswered points, tying the game on a Roebuck 3-pointer and taking a 21-19 lead after two Mickens free throws with 5:04 remaining in the first half.

Tied at 24, a Bradshaw layup started a 6-0 run as Hutch built a 30-24 lead with 2:39 to play after a Roebuck layup. Leading by 5 in the final minute, Brown scored with 30 seconds to play and the Blue Dragons led 33-26 at halftime.

Garden City pulled within 33-31 before the Blue Dragons exploded with a 12-0 run. Brown had seven points in the run, starting it with a 3-pointer. Then her layup with 5:42 left in the third quarter capped off the run and Hutchinson led 45-31 with 4:18 to play in the third. The Busters made a run and pulled within 51-43 after three quarters.

The Dragons finally broke the game open with a 15-0 run to start the fourth quarter Garden City went scoreless for 5 minutes, 6 seconds. Bradshaw and Brown hit 3-pointers in the run and Mickens’ putback with 5:08 left gave the Dragons a 66-43 lead.

The Blue Dragons will conclude their two-game road trip on Wednesday with a 5:30 p.m. tipoff at Butler in El Dorado.

[ By STEVE CARPENTER ]

[ BLUE DRAGON SPORTS INFORMATION ]

Photo courtesy of Allie Schweizer, Blue Dragon Sports Information

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Not known as a passing team, Eastern Arizona stung the Hutchinson Community College football team with a pair of first-half passes and the Gila Monster defense hit the Blue Dragons for two more big plays of Saturday’s ninth-annual Salt City Bowl at Gowans Stadium.

The results of those four plays were the bulk of a 48-34 Eastern Arizona victory, snapping Hutchinson’s seven-game bowl winning streak.

Hutchinson closes the 2017 season at 7-5. Eastern Arizona, which has won the past two Salt City Bowls, finishes at 8-4.

After the teams traded first-quarter touchdowns, Eastern Arizona quarterback Quaderius Clemmon hit Christopher Brinson with a Salt City Bowl record 84-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-7 EAC. Just 56 seconds into the second quarter, Salt City Bowl Defensive MVP Dreshun Miller intercepted a Blue Dragon pass and returned it for a SCB record 78-yard return for a touchdown and a 21-7 lead.

The Gila Monsters struck again late in the half after the Blue Dragons pulled within 28-20. Eastern scored on a halfback pass from the game’s offensive MVP Wilber Cooper, 30 yards to Isaiah Esdale with 48 seconds remaining in the half to give the Gila Monsters a 34-20 lead at halftime.

Quandre Mosely had a second Gila Monster interception for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, returning it 40 yards which put the game out of reach for the Dragons at 48-27 with 2:23 remaining in the game.

The Blue Dragons were outgained by Eastern Arizona 405-312. The Blue Dragons rushed for 182 yards and passes for 130 yards. The Dragons had three turnovers, which gave EAC 14 points.

Chris James was Hutchinson’s leading rusher with a career-best 56 yards on 10 carries and a 3-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Dezmon Jackson was next with 44 rushing yards on six carries. DeShawn Waller and B.J. Emmons both had 40 yards rushing.

Cam Jones completed 4 of 15 passes for 90 yard with two touchdowns. Eric Forrest was 2 of 3 for 10 yards.

Marquis Whitmire had two receptions for 32 yards and a touchdown. Allen Bishop had two catches for 12 yards. Jaylen Erwin and Jawawn Johnson each caught touchdown passes.

Quen Head led the defensive charge for the Blue Dragons with nine tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss. Adrien Cross and Lewis Wallace had seven tackles each.

Eastern Arizona ran for 239 yards and passes for a season-high 166 yards. The Gila Monsters had possession of the football for 37 minutes, 6 seconds.

Cooper was the game’s leading rusher with 72 yards on 15 carries and two touchdowns in addition to his 30-yard touchdown pass.

Eastern Arizona scored first on a 13-play, 75-yard drive that was capped off by Ishois Times’ 4-yard touchdown run. The Dragons immediately responded with a Johnson 38-yard touchdown reception to finish off a three-play, 65-yard scoring drive and tie the game at 7 with 4:54 to play in the opening quarter.

Eastern scored the next two touchdowns on Brinson’s 84-yard touchdown reception and Miller’s 78-yard interception return to lead 21-7 with 14:04 to go in the second quarter.

Emmons pulled the Dragons back to a one-possession game with an 18-yard touchdown run with 12:36 to go, but the PAT attempt was blocked. Hutchinson trailed 21-13. After a 10-play, 63-yard scoring drive by Eastern, the Dragons came right back with a 69-yard scoring march in seven plays capped by James’ 3-yard run. Hutch trailed 28-20 with 2:46 to go in the half.

Eastern Arizona struck with another big play on the Cooper halfback pass to Esdale and the Gila Monsters took a 34-20 lead at halftime.

The Blue Dragons had the only points of the third quarter on a tremendous catch in the end zone by Jaylen Erwin, who caught a 39-yard TD strike from Jones with a one-handed grab, at the same time getting one foot inbounds for the score. The Dragons cut the lead to 34-27 with 9:36 to go.

Hutchinson’s momentum stopped late in the third quarter when after tacking the ball over at the EAC 22, the Blue Dragons’ weren’t able to score points as a bad field-goal snap forced a Jose Parga 34-yard attempt to just miss wide left. EAC capitalized and marched 80 yards in 10 plays with Cooper going the final 6 for his second rushing touchdown of the game and the Gila Monsters led 41-27 with 12:09 to play.

Mosely’s interception for a touchdown came at the 2:23 mark to go to give Eastern a 48-27 lead. The Dragons scored the final points when Whitmire caught an 18-yard touchdown pass from James with 42 seconds remaining in the game.

GAME NOTES – The Blue Dragons are now 11-7-2 all-time in 20 bowl appearances. … The Dragons are now 6-1 in the Salt City Bowl.