DRAGONS RALLY FROM DOUBLE FIGURES DOWN TO TOP T-BIRDS

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

For the fourth time this season, the Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team rallied from a double-figure deficit to earn a victory on Saturday.

Trailing Cloud County by 10 points with 11:43 left in the first half, but Blue Dragons quickly turned the game around with a 16-point turnaround in the first half and the highest-scoring second half this season as Hutchinson defeated Cloud County 98-73 at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.

The Blue Dragons improved to 16-9 overall and 12-7 in the KJCCC, remaining one game out of fourth place and a first-round Region 6 Tournament bye. The Blue Dragons travel to play No. 8 Cowley at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in Arkansas City. Cloud County is now 11-14 overall and 5-14 in the KJCCC.

Hutchinson started off frigid from the field, missing 8 of its first 11 shot attempts with four turnovers. Cloud County led 16-6 with 11:43 remaining. This was the second time this season that the Blue Dragons trailed the Thunderbirds by double figures this season. Cloud County had a 16-point second half lead on December 14 in Concordia.

After falling behind by 10 on Saturday, the Blue Dragons quickly erased that deficit with a 16-6 run, tying the game at 20-all on an Amari Davis bucket with 5:19 remaining in the half. Overall, the Blue Dragons outscored the Thunderbirds 28-12 to lead 36-30 at halftime.

The Blue Dragons kept the foot on the gas in the second half, scoring a season-high 64 points on 60-percent shooting in the final 20 minutes. The Dragons outscored Cloud County 64-45 in the second half for a conference-high 98 points.

Bobby Cannon had a team-high 25 points to pace the Blue Dragons. Cannon was 8 of 14 shooting, going 2 of 5 from 3-point range and 7 of 7 from the free-throw line. He added six rebounds and two blocked shots.

D.J. Dudley posted his first career double-double with 22 points and a career-high 10 assists. He was two rebounds shy of a triple-double with eight rebounds. Dudley was 8 of 12 shooting with two 3-pointers and 4 of 5 from the foul line.

Bo Aldridge scored 19 points on 9 of 11 shooting. Aldridge had seven rebounds. Mikhail Abdul-Hamid was the fourth Blue Dragon in double figures with 12 points, going 3 of 5 from 3-point range. Khalil Arnold had nine points.

The Blue Dragons shot 54.7 percent for the game (36 of 64), hitting 10 of 23 from 3-point range and 16 of 19 from the free-throw line. The Blue Dragons out-rebounded Cloud County 37-32 and had 17 assists and nine steals to off-set 12 turnovers.

Elidjah Savane had a game-high 26 points to lead the Thunderbirds. Syncere Burnette added 20 points.

Cloud County shot 43.5 percent (27 of 62), hitting 6 of 20 from 3-point range and 13 of 22 at the foul line. Cloud County had 15 turnovers.

Cloud County hit three early 3-pointers in building its 16-6 first-half lead. Still trailing 19-10, the Blue Dragons used a 10-1 run to tie the game at 20-20 on a Davis bucket with 5:19 to play in the half. Trailing 22-20, the Dragons scored nine unanswered points and took a 29-22 lead on a Cannon 3-pointer with 2:41 to play.

The Dragons built a nine-point lead with 1:19 to go after a Dudley 3-pointer. Cloud cut the lead to 36-30 on an Amare Johnson 3-pointer with 18 seconds left in the half.

The Blue Dragons never let the lead drop below six points early in the second half. Leading 45-39, A 9-3 Dragon run, capped by three Cannon free throws after being fouled in a 3-point attempt, gave the Dragons a 54-42 lead with 14:31 to go.

Cloud County got within 57-48 and the Dragons answered with a 13-2 run to push the lead to 20 points at 70-50 after an Abdul-Hamid 3-pointer with 10:26 to go.

Cloud cut the lead to 16 points when the Blue Dragons finished off the Thunderbirds with a 14-1 run, taking a 98-70 lead with 57 seconds to go.

GAME NOTES – The Blue Dragons are now 60-21 all-time against Cloud County and 35-3 at the Sports Arena. .. This was Hutchinson's fifth-straight win over Cloud County. … The Dragons earned all-time win No. 1,931. … This was the ninth game this season with 10 or more 3-pointers. … The Dragons are 8-5 at the Sports Arena this season. … The Dragons reached 90 or more points for the sixth time this season. .. D.J. Dudley matched a Blue Dragon individual high for assists, with Jaquez Thornton's 10 against Independence on November 30. … Dudley and Bo Aldridge both reached 20 points in a game for the fifth time this season. … Mikhail Abdul-Hamid hit a 3-pointer in his 14th consecutive game.