DRAGONS FALL TO DODGE CITY IN FINAL REGULAR-SEASON GAME

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

Despite a career-high scoring performance by freshman Bo Aldridge, the Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team had a rough offensive first half and fell to the Dodge City Conquistadors in the 2024-25 regular-season finale on Wednesday.

Trailing by 13 points at halftime and 15 points early in the second half, the Blue Dragons got as close as two points with 3:39 left before the Conquistadors pulled away for a 76-66 KJCCC at the Sports Arena.

The Blue Dragons close the regular season at 19-11 overall and finish in a fourth-place tie in the Jayhawk Conference at 15-9. The Blue Dragons will have the No. 4 overall seed for the 2025 Region 6 Tournament and will have an opening-round bye for Saturday's first round. The Dragons play in the Region 6 second round next Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

Aldridge posted a career high for the second time in the last three games, scoring a career-best 28 points against Dodge City on Wednesday. Aldridge hit 11 of 18 total shots with a 3-pointer and he was 6 of 8 from the free-throw line. Aldridge added five rebounds.

D.J. Dudley added 18 points. Mikhail Abdul-Hamid was next with five.

The Blue Dragons shot 35.8 percent from the floor (24 of 67), going 3 of 17 from 3-point range and 15 of 22 from the free-throw line. The Dragons were out-rebounded 44-39 and had 10 turnovers.

Jayse Boatwright had 22 points and Mynor Strong had 19 points to lead Dodge City, which shot 43.3 percent (26 of 60). The Conquistadors were 7 of 22 from 3-point range and 17 of 24 from the foul line. Dodge City had 13 turnovers.

The Blue Dragons took a 9-6 lead on a Aldridge 3-pointer with 16:56 to play in the opening half. Dodge City then took control with a 9-0 run over the next 3:20 and led 15-9 after a Strong layup with 14:31 remaining in the half.

An Aldridge layup tied the game at 15-15 with 12:36 to go, but Dodge City surged again with a 9-2 run and led 24-17 after a Strong 3-pointer with 8:35 to play in the half. Dodge upped its lead to double figures for the first time at 32-21 with 6:07 left on a Derrick Rivers bucket. Boatwright closed the half with a three-point play with 4 seconds to go and Dodge City led 40-27 at halftime.

Boatwright scored first in the second half for a 42-27 lead before the Dragons started to chip away at the deficit. A 9-2 Hutchinson run cut the lead to 44-36 after an Aldridge dunk with 14:07 to go in the second half. Another Aldridge dunk cut the Dodge lead to 48-43 with 12:52 remaining.

Trailing 54-45, the Dragons went on a 6-0 run – all six points scored by Aldridge – to pull with 54-50 with 9:39 left. The Conqs responded with a 7-0 run to lead 61-50 with 8:17 left in regulation time.

Trailing 65-58, the Blue Dragons went on a 7-2 run and cut the Dodge City led to 67-65 after an Aldridge dunk with 3:39 to go. Dodge City put the game away with nine unanswered points over a span of 3:26 to build a 76-65 lead with 10 seconds remaining in the game.

GAME NOTES – Bo Aldridge's 11 field goals are a career high. … The Dragons are 127-69 all time against Dodge City, 60-29 in games played in Hutchinson. … Bobby Cannon now has 64 blocked shots this season, which tied him with Maurice Brittian for fourth on the freshman blocked shot list and 11th on the Hutchinson since-season list. … The Dragons are 10-6 at the Sports Arena this season and 3-7 when trailing at halftime. … D.J. Dudley reached the career 200-rebound plateau with 200 rebounds. … Mikhail Abdul-Hamid surpassed the career 400-point mark with 403 points.