DRAGONS RETURN TO COURT WITH KEY ROAD WIN AT ALLEN

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

IOLA – Six players scored in double figures and the Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team returned to action after a 24-day holiday break to earn a big Jayhawk Conference road victory on Saturday at Allen Community College.

The Blue Dragons shot 60 percent for the game, including 65.6 percent in the second half, as No. 14 Hutchinson defeated the Red Devils 102-86 at the ACC Gym.

The Blue Dragons improve to 13-2 overall, including 4-2 in the Jayhawk West. Hutchinson will be off until next Saturday when the Dragons return to the Sports Arena for the first time since December 8 to take on the Cowley Tigers. Allen falls to 11-4 overall (3-3 in the Jayhawk East).

The Blue Dragons trailed 23-18 with 10 minutes to play in the first half before the Blue Dragons turned things around with a 13-0 run. Allen was held scoreless for 5 1/2 minutes and Hutchinson led 31-23 with 4:43 left in the first half.

Freshman Malique Jacobs scored a career-high 23 points on 8 of 10 shooting to lead six Blue Dragons in double figures. Jacobs added five rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Sophomore James Rojas finished with 21 points, going 11 of 13 from the free-throw line. Rojas added eight rebounds and five assists.

Freshman center Fred Odhiambo finished with a career-best 15 points on 6 of 7 shooting, with nine rebounds and three blocked shots.

Freshman Saquan Singleton tied a career high with 15 points on 7 of 8 shooting. D.J. Mitchell and Rheaquone Taylor had 10 points each.

The Blue Dragons were 36 of 60 from the field, hitting 4 of 10 from 3-point range and 26 of 36 from the free-throw line. Hutch held a 44-36 rebound advantage.

Malik Hardmon had 21 points to lead Allen. Perry Carroll had 18 points, while Darius Love and Trez Hankins had 16 points each.

The Red Devils shot 24 of 69 from the field (34.8 percent). The Red Devils hit 10 of 30 3-pointers and 28 of 42 from the foul line.

A Hankins 3-pointer with 10:01 to play in the first half gave Allen its largest leadoff the game at 23-18. The Dragons started their 13-0 run with a Singleton free throw. The Dragons took the lead for good on a Singleton jumper with 6:16 left for a 24-23 Dragon lead.

Rojas hit 3 of 4 free throws – he was fouled and hit two technical free throws – to cap the run for a 31-23 lead with 4:43 to play in the period. The Dragon run grew to 21-8 run for a 39-26 lead after a Rojas three-point play with 3:15 to go in the half.

The Red Devils trimmed the lead to nine, but a Taylor bucket with 33 seconds to go gave Hutchinson a 47-36 lead at halftime.

An Odhiambo layup and Taylor jumper in the first 40 seconds of the second half upped the Dragon lead to 51-36. The Red Devils stayed in the game with seven 3-point field goals in the second half and Allen sliced the deficit to eight at 61-53 after a Love free throw with 14:36 to go in the second half.

Jacobs stopped that Red Devil run with a key basket on a drive to the hoop with 13:41 to play to give Hutch a 63-53 lead. Rojas then hit a 3-pointer and Singleton scored again on a drive to the bucket to lead 68-53 lead with 12:34 to play.

Allen made several small runs, but the Dragons never let their lead dip to single figures. Hutchinson was 21 of 32 from the field in the second half in a 55-50 second half.

GAME NOTES – The Blue Dragons are now 41-9 all-time against Allen, including 15-1 in games played in Iola. … This was Hutchinson's all-time 1,793rd victory. … This was Hutch's second-highest field-goal percentage of the season. … This was the fourth time the Dragons had six players score in double figures this season. … Hutchinson scored 100 or more points for the seventh time this season. … D.J. Mitchell had a career-high tying four assists. … This was the seventh time this season that the Blue Dragons have allowed 10 or more 3-pointers in a game.