On paper, prognostications of a deep run into the month of March by the Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team seem warranted.
Hutchinson last season was 30-3 and won the Jayhawk West title for the first since 1990. The 2010-11 Lady Dragons set a school-scoring record (76.0 ppg) and led the nation in scoring defense (49.0 ppg). Two starters and five letter winners are back that accounted for 58 percent of the scoring last season. That includes an All-American/Jayhawk West Player of the Year and another first-team all-league and region performer.
“My concern we have going into this season is we can say how good we are on paper, but this team has yet to prove themselves,” said fifth-year head coach John Ontjes, whose team opens the 2011-12 season on Friday at the Sports Arena in the Quarterback Classic.
“I want our sophomore class to understand that they can leave a legacy at this program, if they put their heart and soul into it and play at a level they’re capable of.”
Hutchinson will play Hesston College at 5:30 p.m. on Friday and Jayhawk East rival Labette at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday to open the season this weekend. Pratt is the fourth team in the field and will play each day at 1:30 p.m.
The Lady Dragons were picked to repeat as Jayhawk West champion and were ranked seventh in the NJCAA Preseason Division I Women’s Basketball Poll.
2011-12 HCC OUTLOOK
Ontjes, who is 114-21 in four seasons, has a tremendous foundation to build upon in 2011-12, starting with his two returning first-team all-conference/region players.
Sophomore forward Jackie Patterson (6-1, Frisco, Texas) was a second-team NJCAA All-American last season who was named the 2011 Jayhawk West Player and Freshman of the Year as well as the Region VI Tournament MVP despite the Lady Dragons losing in the championship game to Cloud County.
Patterson averaged 13.8 points per game and was second in the Jayhawk Conference in field-goal percentage at 53.9 percent. Patterson averaged 7.45 rebounds and had 50 steals and 38 blocked shots.
Sophomore point guard Alysse Barlow (5-4, Arlington, Texas) was the team’s second-leading scorer and was No. 2 in the Jayhawk Conference in assists last season. Barlow averaged 13.5 points, shooting 31.6 percent with 49 made 3-pointers. Barlow had 139 assists and 80 steals.
At 6-1, forward Chelsea Small (Denver) is a tremendous threat from behind the 3-point line. Last season off the bench, Small averaged 9.4 points and 5.5 rebounds. She shot 46 percent from the field and nearly 37 percent from the 3-point line (31 of 84). Small provided a strong defensive presence as well with 36 steals and 32 blocked shots.
Center Kara Lee (6-4, Topeka) averaged 3.8 points and 2.3 rebounds off the bench last season. She shot 43 percent overall and had 20 blocks and 11 steals. After a strong offseason, Lee will add depth and experience to a front line that has an opportunity to be very good.
Guard Lanicia Lawrence (5-5, St. Robert, Mo.) was a solid back-up point guard last season. Lawrence averaged 3.8 points and dished out 97 assists. She also caused opposing offenses problems with her speed with 36 steals.
Last season, Emile Blakesley was a hometown product who returned to HCC to provide another threat. This year, Hutchinson Central Christian product Laura Patrick returns home to play for the Lady Dragons. Patrick is a local product who played at Central Christian High School and transferred to HCC from a stellar year at Sterling College. At Sterling, Patrick was named the KCAC Freshman of The Year and earned KCAC first-team honors in helping Sterling qualify for the NAIA National Tournament. Patrick averaged 10.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game.
Patterson’s twin sister, Jasmine, will make her HCC debut this season after missing last year with an injury. Ontjes also brings in a tremendous freshman class to make a run at another Jayhawk Conference title and third Region VI championship.
QUARTERBACK CLASSIC OPPONENTS
+ Hesston College – Hesston comes into the Quarterback Classic 1-0 after a 72-32 victory over Union College on Monday night.
Sophomore Mishaun Pfannenstiel scored a game-high 19 points to pace the Larks offense. Freshman Khrystian Glover added 10 points while sophomore Amber Mayer chipped in with nine points and six rebounds.
The Larks (12-18 last season) have seven players back with multiple starts for head coach Dan Harrison.
Hutchinson is 20-1 all-time against Hesston College, winning 19-straight in the series. Hesston’s lone win came in 1976. The last meeting between Hutchinson and Hesston came in 2009, an 81-51 HCC victory at the Sports Arena.
+ Labette – The Cardinals play in Hutchinson for an early-season classic for the fifth time in the past six seasons.
Second-year coach Anna Nimz will coach against the Lady Dragons for the first time. Labette was picked sixth after a 15-16 campaign in Nimz’s first season.
Labette has three players returning from last season, led by guard Raven Taylor, who averaged 10.6 points and had 42 3-pointers last season. Breanna Robinson averaged 4.7 points and 5.2 rebounds. LeTonya Tucker averaged 3.0 points and 4.2 rebounds.
HCC is 11-5 vs. Labette. The team’s last meeting was in the 2010 Region VI semifinals when the Cardinals upset Hutchinson 54-49 and went on to win the regional championship.
(By Steve Carpenter, HCC Sports Information Director