DUDLEY TIP-IN CAPS DRAGONS’ LATEST COMEBACK WIN

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

Trailing by as many as 14 points early in the second half, the Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team completed its ninth second-half comeback for a victory of the season in a crucial Jayhawk Conference game on Saturday at the Sports Arena.

D.J. Dudley's tip-in with 1.5 seconds remaining in regulation completed the Blue Dragon comeback as Hutchinson rallied to defeat the Butler Grizzlies 64-63 on Pink-Out Day.

The Blue Dragons improved to 17-10 overall and moved into a fourth-place tie in the Jayhawk Conference with Butler as 13-8. The Blue Dragons have the head-to-head tiebreaker with Butler with a regular-season sweep of the Grizzlies this season. Hutchinson plays host to Pratt at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the Sports Arena. Butler fell to 18-9 overall.

Of the nine second-half comebacks for the Blue Dragons, five have been from deficits of 10 or more points. The Blue Dragons are now 5-0 in games decided by three points or less.

Trailing 38-24 with 19:28 left in the second half, the Blue Dragons slowly chipped away at that deficit. After Hutchinson got the game to one possession with 8:08 remaining, the Grizzlies scored five unanswered to build a 60-52 lead with 5:57 to go.

The Dragons closed the game on a 12-3 run and led 62-60 on a Bl Aldridge drive to the bucket with 1:22 to play. Russell Branch tied the game with a layup made with 1:08 left and when Emeka Opurum hit 1 of 2 free throws with 15 seconds left and the Grizzlies led 63-62.

On Hutchinson's final offensive possession, Aldridge weaved his way into the lane and missed a 10-foot pull-up jumper. From the left side of the lane, Dudley flew to the hoop untouched and tipped in the go-ahead basket with 1.5 seconds left. Butler's three-quarter court try at the buzzer was short of the rim.

Aldridge posted his third career double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds with a pair of assists to lead the Blue Dragons.

Bobby Cannon had 14 points and eight rebounds with three blocked shots. Dudley finished with 11 points, three rebounds and three assists. Khalil Arnold also scored in double figures for the Blue Dragons with 10 points.

Hutchinson shot 36.8 percent (21 of 57), hitting 3 of 16 from 3-point range and 19 of 21 from the free-throw line. The Dragons were out-rebounded 41-37, but committed only 11 turnovers.

Opurum had a double-double lead Butler with 19 points and 14 rebounds. Brand finished with 12 points.

The Grizzlies shot 38.1 percent (24 of 63), hitting 4 of 23 from 3-point range and 11 of 20 from the free-throw line. The Grizzlies had 12 turnovers.

Hutchinson shot only 28.6 percent (8 of 28) in the first half, but kept the game close early. Two Kobe Smith free throws with 10:41 left cut the Butler lead to 16-13. The Grizzlies went on an 8-1 run to lead 24-14 after a Devin Kerr field goal with 8:57 left. The Dragon deficit grew to 12 points at 6:51 to go when Opurum field goal gave the Grizzlies a 28-16 lead. A Branch jumper gave Butler a 32-18 lead with 4:13 left.

An Aldridge transition dunk sparked a Blue Dragon late first-half surge. The Dragons cut the deficit to 10 points twice and Hutchinson trailed 35-24 at halftime.

A Branch three-point play to open the second half bumped the Butler lead to 38-24. Trailing 43-30, the Dragons started the comeback with a 12-3 run that was capped by an Arnold 2-pointer and 3-pointer on consecutive possessions to pull within 46-42 with 11:53 to go.

The Dragons got within 55-52 after a Cannon 3-pointer with 8:08 left and drew within three points again with 6:15 left after an Aldridge layup cut the Butler lead to 60-57.

Cannon tied the game at 60 with two free throws with 4:51 left. Hutchinson took a 62-60 lead with 1:22 to go on an Aldridge bucket. That play set up the frantic final minute capped by Dudley's game-winning tip-in with 1.5 seconds remaining.

GAME NOTES – This was Bo Aldridge's third 20-point game of the season. … Now with 57 blocked shots, Bobby Cannon moved up to eighth on the freshman blocked shot list. … The Dragons are 131-70 all-time vs. Butler, 67-23 in games played in Hutchinson. … This was all-time win No. 1,940. … The Dragons are 9-5 at the Sports Arena this season. … The Dragons used their 16th different starting lineup on Saturday.