Hutchinson, KS-Anthony Thomas hit a desperation 3-pointer with 3.2 seconds remaining in regulation broke a tie game and the Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball team had to watch a shot from three-quarter court nearly go in at the buzzer in the Blue Dragons’ 54-51 victory over Western Oklahoma State College in the final game of the Pizza Hut Classic on Saturday night at the Sports Arena.
Trailing by as many as five points midway through the second half, the 11th-ranked Blue Dragons never let Western Oklahoma State extend that lead and eventually led 51-49 with 56 seconds remaining. Western’s Angelo Lewis tied the game at 51-all with 41 seconds to play.
Having faced intense defensive pressure all game long, the Pioneers nearly got a stop on HCC’s next possession. With the shot clock running down, Jack Pyle fed a pass to Thomas on the high block, only to have the ball deflected away. Thomas chased it down and with 1 second left on the shot, sank a fade-away 3-pointer with 3.2 seconds left to give Hutchinson a 54-51 lead.
Donald Marshall then heaved a three-quarter court shot that went about halfway in and spin back out at the buzzer.
The Blue Dragons finish the non-conference season and head into the Christmas break with a 13-1 record. HCC opens Jayhawk Conference Western Division play on Wednesday, Jan. 4 against Dodge City at the Sports Arena.
The Dragons survived after a season-low offensive output, a season-low 40.9 percent field-goal percentage and a season-low 45.8 percent from the free-throw line, going just 1 of 7 from the stripe in the second half. The Dragons also committed 21 turnovers.
Sophomore Mark Braden scored a game-high 19 points with six rebounds to lead Hutchinson offensively. Braden broke a 0-of-14 slump from 3-point range by knocking down 3 of 5 from behind the arc. Braden added six rebounds.
Pyle added three 3-pointers and was the only other Blue Dragon to score in double figures with 15 points. Thomas finished with nine points.
The Blue Dragons hit 18 of 44 field goals and were 7 of 17 from 3-point range. HCC hit only 11 of 24 free throws. The Dragons did out-rebound Western Oklahoma 42-28. Freshman Alex Davis had a career-high 10 rebounds to lead the Dragons.
Marshall knocked down 4 of 6 from 3-point range to finish with 12 points in leading the Pioneers. DeWayne Gallimore had 11 points with a pair of 3-pointers. Rowson had 10 points. WSOC committed 15 turnovers.
Hutchinson started out with an 8-0 lead after two Pyle 3-pointers and two Braden free throws. But HCC shot just 36.4 percent in the opening half. Western Oklahoma eventually tied the game at 25-all on a Marshall 3-pointer with 2:04 left in the half.
The Dragons took a 37-32 halftime lead when Pyle hit a 3-pointer on an inbound play with 0.4 second left.
Hutchinson scored just four points in the first nine minutes of the second half. After a Gallimore dunk with 11:18 to go, the Pioneers led 41-36.
There were five lead changes over the next eight minutes. A Gallimore 3-pointer gave the Pioneers a 49-48 lead with 2:13 to play. A Pyle bucket with 1:51 to go gave the Dragons the lead again and set up the wild finish.
GAME NOTES – HCC is now 3-0 vs. Western Oklahoma State. … HCC finished the non-conference season 12-1 at the Sports Arena. … Alex Davis had a season-high 10 rebounds. … This was HCC’s 1,586th all-time victory.
(HCC Sports Information)