DRAGONS HOPE FOR A SUPER SUNDAY AT COLBY

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

Now back in the thick of the Jayhawk Conference title chase after Wednesday's round of games, the No. 16 Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team knows every game is critical heading into the final month of the regular season.

Hutchinson heads to Colby on Sunday for a 4 p.m. tipoff at the Colby Community Building.

The game will be broadcast live on Blue Dragon flagship station KHUT-FM (102.9) and sister stations KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5) at 3:50 p.m. with Glen Grunwald (play-by-play) and Daren Dunn (analysis) calling the action. The game will also be videostreamed on the Blue Dragon Sports Network at 3:50 p.m.

Because of another event scheduled on Saturday for the Colby Community Building, Hutchinson's second game of the season with Colby was moved to Sunday. It will be the fifth time in the last 14 seasons that the Blue Dragons play at Colby on a Sunday.

Blue Dragon head coach Steve Eck makes his first attempt at a pair of milestone wins. If victorious on Sunday, Eck will win his 250th game on the Blue Dragon bench and his 900th victory at all levels in a 39-year coaching career.

The Blue Dragons are in search of a victory on Sunday to stay tied with Coffeyville for second place in the Jayhawk Conference, one game behind first-place Barton. Both Coffeyville and Barton won games on Saturday night.

After Hutchinson's 105-95 victory over Neosho County, combined with Cowley's victory over Barton on Wednesday, the Blue Dragons moved back within one game of the Cougars.

In Eck's 249th Hutchinson win, the Blue Dragons survived an onslaught of 18 3-pointers by the Panthers, nine by Neosho County guard Lual Dung. Both of those marks tied all-time opponent records against the Blue Dragons. The Blue Dragons got 24 points each from sophomores J.J. Rhymes and Devonte Bandoo and 21 points off the bench of James Rojas.

Wednesday was the first time since the Pratt game on November 18 that Rhymes and Bandoo, Hutch's leading scorers, both had 20-point games in the same game.

Colby finds itself in a strange position as the final month of the regular season begins. The Trojans are in fifth place with a 10-9 record. They have a two-game lead over Seward County in a bid to host a Region VI Tournament first-round home game.

The Trojans are 7-3 in their last 10 games coming off an 84-79 overtime road victory on Wednesday at Dodge City.

In the first meeting between Hutchinson and Colby this season, The Blue Dragons had huge first half in an 89-65 victory on November 29 at the Sports Arena. Shooting 51.8 percent for the game, Hutch built a 49-25 lead by halftime. Six Blue Dragons were in double figures led by Rojas' 14 off the bench. Bandoo and Rhymes had 13 points each. Quintavius Eagle had 16 points to lead the Trojans.