BLUE DRAGON WOMEN GET BY PANTHERS

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

CHANUTE – The No. 12-ranked Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team earned its third-straight Jayhawk Conference victory after a 72-62 road triumph at Neosho County.

The trio of sophomore Alicia Brown and freshmen Jada Mickens and Dejanae Roebuck combined for 53 points to lead the Blue Dragons. Hutchinson improves to 5-2 overall and are over .500 in league play for the first time this season at 3-2. Neosho County falls to 4-5 and 1-4.

Hutchinson built a 34-27 halftime lead despite shooting only 34.4 percent from the field in the opening two quarters. The key for the Blue Dragons was forcing 26 Neosho County turnovers and the Blue Dragons outscored the Panthers 29-15 in points off turnovers.

Brown scored a career-high 19 points on Saturday, hitting 4 of 7 field goals including a 3-pointer. Brown was 10 of 14 from the free-throw line. She added five rebounds and three steals.

Mickens posted her third double-double of the season with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Mickens was 8 of 16 shooting.

Roebuck had 16 points and eight rebounds. Vivian Chigbu was next for the Dragons with six.

For the game, the Blue Dragons shot 40.7 percent (24 of 59), including 3 of 8 from 3-point range and 24 of 41 from the free-throw line. The Dragons had a narrow 38-35 rebounding advantage. Hutch had 17 turnovers. The Dragons tied a season high with 13 steals.

Beth Hawkins knocked down four 3-pointers and led Neosho County with 12 points. Erica Birch had 11 points.

The Panthers shot 35.7 percent (20 of 56), going 6 of 22 from 3-point range and 16 of 24 from the free-throw line.

Hutchinson led 17-15 after one quarter. The Panthers tied the game at 17 after a Birch layup with 9:49 to play in the second quarter and took a 22-21 lead on a DeQuandra Lyles tip-in with 7:16 to play in the period. Then tied at 24, the Blue Dragons went on a 7-0 run to build a 31-24 lead with 2:32 remaining after a Chigbu layup after her blocked shot on the other end. Hutch led 34-27 at halftime despite hitting only 11 of 32 shots in the opening two quarters.

The Dragons opened the second half with a 7-1 run to build a 41-28 lead after a Brown 3-pointer with 7:17 to play in the third quarter. Neosho County immediately answered with a 12-1 run over the next 3 minutes and cut the Dragon lead to 42-40 with 4:29 to go in the third after a Lexy Watts free throw. Roebuck nailed a 3-pointer on Hutch's next possession and the Dragons pushed the lead back to 10 after a Chigbu bucket gave the Dragons a 51-41 lead with 2:15 remaining in the third quarter. Hutch led 53-45 after three periods.

A Mickens' layup pushed the lead to 13 at 60-47 with 6:56 to play and the Hutch lead never dipped into single digits again. The Dragons had their highest-scoring quarter of 22 in the fourth.

Hutchinson plays host to Colby on Wednesday with a 5:30 p.m. tipoff at the Sports Arena.