DRAGONS TURN IN DEFENSIVE GEM TO DROP T-BIRDS

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

The Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team held high-scoring Cloud County 40 points under its season scoring average on Saturday at the Sports Arena.

The Blue Dragons rode that defensive effort and a dominant performance in the paint to a 73-52 victory, sending the Thunderbirds to their third-straight defeat.

Hutchinson evens its Jayhawk West record at 2-2 and improves to 3-2 overall. Cloud County drops to 3-3 overall and 1-3 in the Jayhawk East. The Blue Dragons travel to Independence on Wednesday.

Cloud County shot 40.0 percent for the game, but mustered only 24 points in the first half and 28 in the second half. The Thunderbirds had 18 turnovers.

Hutchinson outscored Cloud County 44-26 in the paint and outrebounded the Thunderbirds 44-25. The combination of forwards Majok Kuath, Matt Mayers and Stephan Gabriel combined for 44 points and 22 rebounds.

Kuath finished with 16 points on 7 of 9 shooting with six rebounds. Mayers flirted with another double-double, tallying 15 points and nine rebounds. Gabriel scored a career-high 13 points and added seven rebounds and a pair of blocked shots. Sophomore Isaiah Bujdoso scored eight points and had eight rebounds and five assists.

The Blue Dragons shot 49.2 for the game (31 of 63). The Dragons were 3 of 11 from 3-point range and 8 of 12 from the free-throw line.

Cloud County was 22 of 55 shooting overall. The Thunderbirds hit 4 of 18 from 3-point range and 4 of 9 from the free-throw line.

David Acosta led Cloud County with 12 points and seven rebounds. Jack Doumbia had eight points.

Acosta started the game with a dunk for Cloud County, but the Blue Dragons immediately responded with a 10-run capped by a Gabriel dunk for a 10-2 lead with 16:20 to play. A Daniel Braster 3-pointer gave the Dragons a 15-points lead at 21-6 with 9:07 to go in the first half. Hutch led 30-15 late in the first half. Cloud closed to with32-24 on a Rayquan Valentin 3-pointer. The Dragons responded with a Jaden Okon 3-pointer with 8 seconds to play and Hutchinson led 35-24 at halftime. The Dragons shot 57.1 percent in the opening 20 minutes.

Cloud County came out the aggressor in the second half, starting the period with a 12-5 run to pull within 40-36 after an Acosta inside hoop with 15:04 to play.

Hutch still led 42-38 with 14 minutes to go and the Dragons quickly grabbed momentum over the next two minutes. A Mayers inside bucket with 11:53 to play capped a 10-0 Dragon run to regain control of the game.

The Blue Dragons outscored Cloud County 38-28 in the second half.

GAME NOTES – This was win No. 1,831 for the Blue Dragons. … Hutchinson is now 54-19 all-time against Cloud County, going 32-2 at the Sports Arena. … Isaiah Bujdoso had a career-best four steals.