Hutchinson CC Sports Information

The Hutchinson Community College Men's Basketball team returns from the holiday break with a staunch test Saturday night at the Sports Arena.

The fifth-ranked Blue Dragons (12-1, 4-1 Jayhawk West) play host to the Allen Red Devils (10-4, 5-0 Jayhawk East), winners of a KJCCC-long nine-game winning streak. Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m.

The game will be broadcast live on Blue Dragon flagship station KHUT-FM (102.9) and sister stations KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5) beginning at 7:20 p.m. with Glen Grunwald (play-by-play) and Dan Naccarato (analyst) calling the action. The game will be streamed on the Blue Dragon Sports Network at 7:20 p.m.

Saturday's game will be a battle of conference leaders in the Jayhawk Conference. Hutchinson leads the Jayhawk West by one game over Barton at 4-1. Allen is tied with Cowley for the lead in the Jayhawk East at 5-0.

Before the 24-day holiday break, the Blue Dragons won 12 of 13 games in the first semester. The only blemish was a road loss to Butler (73-63) in a season-low offensive performance.

The Blue Dragons won their first 11 games and climbed all the way to No. 2 in the NJCAA Rankings. Hutchinson has quality wins over Midland, Monroe College and Iowa Western in the non-conference and a 92-71 victory over defending Region VI champion Coffeyville on the resume thus far.

The Blue Dragons rank No. 5 in the Jayhawk Conference in scoring average at 90.2 points per game. Hutch is No. 1 in 3-point shooting at 41.0 percent, averaging 7.6 made 3-pointers per game. The Dragons are also No. 2 in the KJCCC in field-goal percentage at 49.7 percent.

Hutchinson relies on a balanced offense with five players averaging in double figures and four different players have had a 20-point game this season.

Freshman Josh Baker is at a team-high 15.2 points per game. Sophomore Tyler Brown averages 14.8 points per contest. Sophomore D.J. Mitchell is at 13.8 points per game, sophomore Saquan Singleton is at 11.8 and freshman Majok Kuath is at 11.5 points per game.

Singleton is also first in the KJCCC in assists (76) and fifth in rebounds at 8.2 per game.

The Blue Dragons are also fifth in scoring defense at 70.0 points per game allowed.

Allen has won several close games over its nine-game winning streak, averaging a 12.4-point margin of victory over that span. Five of those wins have come by 10 points or less. Allen defeated Dodge City 93-81 in its last game on December 11.

The Red Devils are averaging 81.3 points offensively and 74.1 points defensively.

Allen has a solid 1-2 scoring punch in sophomores Trez Hankins and Malik Hardmon. Hankins averages 16.1 points and shoots 4.2 percent from the field. Hardmon is at 15.6 points and shooting 48 percent overall.