DRAGONS FALL TO BUSTERS IN HIGH-SCORING BATTLE

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

The top two scoring teams in the Jayhawk Conference lived up to their reputations on Saturday night at the Sports Arena.

The No. 5-ranked Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team posted the seventh-highest offensive output in team history, but the Garden City Broncbusters set their own all-time single-game scoring record as Garden City defeated the Blue Dragons 132-127 on Saturday at the Sports Arena.

Hutchinson fell to 16-2 overall and 10-2 in the Jayhawk Conference. The Blue Dragon open the second half of the Jayhawk Conference season with a Monday showdown against Independence with a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.

The 259 combined points scored was a Blue Dragon single-game record, surpassing the 1990 record of 257 points in a 130-127 win over Belleville.

The 132 points allowed by the Blue Dragons were the most points allowed in single-game history. The old record was Belleville's 127 in 1990.

The 127 Blue Dragon points were the most scored by Hutchinson in a loss in team history. The old record was 111 in a triple-overtime loss to Cowley in 2016.

Hutchinson rallied from first-half deficits as large as seven points to lead 69-63 at halftime. The Broncbusters started the second half on a 31-12 run over the first 7:21 of the second half and outscored the Dragons 69-58.

Six Blue Dragons scored in double figures and two posted double-doubles.

Sophomore Kaimen Lennox tied a career-high 24 points, sinking a career-best 4 of 8 3-pointers, to lead the Blue Dragons.

Sophomore Kobe Campbell had his second double-double of the season with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Campbell added six assists and a career-high-tying five steals.

Sophomore Jacquez Yow posted his fifth double-double of the season with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Yow was 8 of 12 shooting and he added four assists.

Sophomore Angelo Stuart had his 14th 20-point game this season, scoring 21 points with three 3-point goals. Sophomore Nate Goodlow had 12 points with five assists and three steals. Freshman Jayden Garrison had season highs of 10 points and two 3-pointers.

The Blue Dragons shot 41.3 percent for the game (45 of 109). The Blue Dragons were 13 of 46 from 3-point range and 24 of 33 from the free-throw line. The Blue Dragons were out-rebounded 64-58. The Blue Dragons had 27 assists and 17 steals.

Four Garden City players combined for 110 of the Busters' 132 points. Tone Hunter scored a career-high 37 points on 13 of 25 shooting from the floor and 11 of 18 from the free-throw line. Heru Bligen had a double-double with 27 points and 12 rebounds. Mohamed Diarra had 26 points and 22 rebounds and Jyre McCloud added 20 points.

Garden City shot 52.2 percent for the game (47 of 90), going 4 of 10 from 3-point range and 34 of 54 from the free-throw line.

The Busters has leads as large as seven five different times in the first half, the last one coming at 51-44 with 4:50 remaining after a McCloud inside bucket. The Blue Dragons rallied back with 55-54 on a Zavion McClendon jumper with 2:44 to play. Trailing 56-54, the Blue Dragons went on a 7-0 run to take a 61-56 lead after two Jayden Hall free throws with 1:17 remaining.

Garrison then hit two 3-pointers in the final 27 seconds – the first giving the Blue Dragons a 66-61 lead and the second with 1 second remaining to give the Blue Dragons a 69-63 lead.

A Yow dunk with 18:44 to play in the second half gave the Blue Dragons a 73-67 lead. Garden City then took control with a 27-8 run and built a 13-point lead at 94-81 after a Bligen jumper with 12:39 to play.

The Blue Dragons then scored 22 of the next 36 points over the next 4:02 and pulled within two points at 105-103 after a Campbell three-point play. The Dragons tied the game at 118 after two Stuart free throws with 4:13 to go.

Garden City answered with a Diarra 3-pointer and layup on back-to-back possessions to rebuild a five-point lead. Two Campbell free throws and a Yow dunk pulled the Dragons within 123-122 with 2:30 to go. Campbell later hit 1 of 2 free throws with 20 seconds to go to pull within 130-127, but Hunter steals the win for Garden City with a pair of free throws with 17 seconds to go for a five-point lead.

GAME NOTES – The Blue Dragons are 139-50 all-time against Garden City. … The 69 points scored in the first half was the third-highest scoring half in Blue Dragon history. … The 17 steals tied for 10th most in team single-game history. … Garden City is the fifth opponent this season to shoot better than 50 percent in a game. The Blue Dragons are 3-2 in those games.