HUTCH LOOKS FOR BETTER RESULTS VS. CLOUD COUNTY

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

The Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team faces another one of the Jayhawk Conference's top scorers in a pivotal game for the Blue Dragons in the league standings on Saturday.

The No. 17-ranked Blue Dragons face Cloud County at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday in the third of a four-game homestand for Hutchinson. The game will be broadcast live on Blue Dragon flagship station KHUT-FM (102.9) and sister stations KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5) beginning at 5:20 p.m. Rusty Hilst (play-by-play) and Dan Naccarato (analysis) calling the action. The game will also be videostreamed live on the Blue Dragon Sports Network at 7:20 p.m.

Hutchinson saw its 13-game winning streak come to an end on Wednesday in a 62-49 setback to No. 13 Seward County at the Sports Arena. The Blue Dragons fell a game off the pace of the Saints and Cowley, both which are tied for first place entering play on Saturday at 12-2.

The Blue Dragon look to even the season series with the Thunderbirds. Cloud County defeated Hutchinson 70-63 on November 15 in Concordia. Following that game, the Dragons reeled off 13-straight wins to climb back into the conference race.

Hutchinson has been strong defensively all season. The Blue Dragons have held the Top 5 teams in the Jayhawk an average of 15 points under their respective season scoring averages.

That defense will be called on again to slow down the Jayhawk's third-leading scorer in Cloud County freshman guard Scout Frame, who averages 17.0 points per game. Frame, who scored 15 points in the first game against the Blue Dragons, shots 46.5 percent from the field and 76.1 percent from the free-throw line. She leads the KJCCC in getting to the line, going 105 of 138 so far this season.

Frame is coming off a 20-point game in Cloud County's 75-55 win at Dodge City on Wednesday. Frame was 10 of 11 from the stripe.

Since the final game of the first semester, Cloud County has gone just 2-4 since starting 10-1.

The Thunderbirds are seventh in the league in scoring offense at 70.8 points per game. Cloud County hoots 39.8 percent from the field, 30.5 percent from 3-point range and 66.1 percent from the foul line. Defensively, The T-Birds allow 58.5 points per game.

The Blue Dragons look to rebound from a tough second half against Seward County. Trailing 29-27 at halftime, Hutch scored a season-low six points in the third quarter and was outscored 33-22 in the final two quarters.

The Dragons still rank sixth in the Jayhawk in scoring at 68.3 points per game, shooting 40.2 percent overall, 30.7 percent from 3-point range and 70.0 percent from the foul line. Defensively, the Blue Dragons are fifth in points allowed at 53.7 points per game. Opposing teams are shooting 33.6 percent overall and 30.6 percent from 3-point range.