By Steve Carpenter-HCC Sports information
Two of the all-time winningest programs in NJCAA men’s basketball history will do battle on Wednesday in the second round of the 2016 NJCAA Tournament as the Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball team meets old rival Moberly Area Community College.
The No. 7 seeded Blue Dragons (29-4) take on the 23rd-seed Greyhounds (25-10) at 2 p.m. on Wednesday. The game can be heard on Blue Dragon flagship station KHUT-FM (102.9) at 1:50 p.m. It also will be streamed live by NJCAATV.
Hutchinson is No. 1 in the NJCAA in all-time wins with 1,713 wins. Moberly is fourth in all-time wins with 1,666. The Blue Dragons make their 19th NJCAA Tournament appearance. This will be Moberly’s 27th trip to nationals.
NO. 7 HUTCHINSON VS. NO. 23 MOBERLY AREA
NJCAA Men’s D-I National Tournament 2nd Round
When: Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Where: Hutchinson Sports Arena, Hutchinson, KS
Time: 2 p.m.
Radio: KHUT-FM (102.9), 1:50 p.m. HCC Broadcaster’s Radio Stream Audio: Click Here
Videostream: NJCAATV, 1:55 p.m. at www.njcaatv.com
Twitter: @bluedragonsport
Hutchinson and Moberly meet for the 29th time since the series started in 1951. The series is tied at 14-14, but the teams have not played each other since 2006.
But an oddity to this series between a pair of teams with a combined six national championships and 106 combined tournament wins is that the Blue Dragons and Greyhounds have never met each other in the NJCAA Tournament.
The Blue Dragons haven’t played since March 3 when Neosho County held HCC to a season-low offensive output in a 66-58 upset in the Region VI championship game at Hartman Arena.
Hutchinson earned a spot in the 2016 national tournament field as a zone qualifier by winning the 2016 Jayhawk Conference championship.
Moberly won Region XVI and captured its bi-district clash with Sauk Valley to reach Hutchinson. The Greyhounds have one tournament game under their belt already after Monday night’s 85-74 victory over No. 10 Indian Hills. Moberly has won seven straight games averaging 88 points per game.
(HCC Sports Information)