SLOW START DOOMS BLUE DRAGON WOMEN

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

The Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team suffered through its worst offense start this season and never recovered as the Garden City Broncbusters pulled off a 56-48 upset of the No. 14 Blue Dragons on Wednesday at the Sports Arena.

Garden City defeated Hutchinson for only the fifth time ever at the Sports Arena and won in Hutchinson for the first time since 2004.

The Blue Dragons fall to 20-4 overall and 16-4 in the Jayhawk Conference with Butler coming to the Sports Arena on Saturday. Garden City improves to 15-9 and 12-8 as the Broncbusters split the season series with Hutchinson for the first time since 2013.

Hutchinson fell behind 11-2 after one quarter, missing 12 of its first 13 shots of the game. The Blue Dragons made several runs to get the game back to a one-possession score. Hutchinson had 17 possessions in which a score would have tied for taken the lead and the Dragons went 0 for 17 in those possessions.

The Blue Dragons committed 21 turnovers and Garden City had a huge 20-7 advantage in points off turnovers. For the second time this season the Blue Dragons were out-rebounded (32-29) and the most glaring negative statistic for Hutchinson on Wednesday was 4 of 17 shooting from the free-throw line.

Garden City posted its fourth consecutive game of allowing less than 50 points in a game.

After their bad start to the game, the Blue Dragons shot 54.5 percent after the first quarter to finish at 41.3 percent for the game (19 of 46). The Dragons were 6 of 13 from 3-point range.

Sara Cramer tied her career high with 18 points, hitting 4 of 6 shots from 3-point range.

Dejanae Roebuck had her 10th double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Jada Mickens had eight points.

Jada Washington scored an opponent individual high against Hutch this season with 24 points on 11 of 17 free-throw shooting. Abigail Green was next with nine points.

Garden City shot 20 of 48 (41.7 percent), hitting 3 of 12 from 3-point range and 13 of 21 from the foul line. The Busters had 15 turnovers.

The Blue Dragons actually trailed 13-2 just one possession into the second quarter. Mickens hit a 3-pointer late in the second quarter to get within six points at 20-14 with 1:46 to play. The Busters scored the final three points of the half and Hutch trailed 23-14 – the Blue Dragons' lowest scoring half this season – at halftime.

The Dragons started the second half with a 9-2 run and pulled within 25-23 after a Cramer 3-pointer with 7:09 to play in the period. Both teams went scoreless for the next two minutes before a Washington free throw with 5:04 left started a 6-0 Buster run to rebuild a 31-23 lead after a Washington three-point play with 3:46 to go. The Dragons made another run and pulled within 34-29 when Alicia Brown scored going to the hoop with 1:10 to play in the third. That was also the score heading into the final quarter.

A Cramer three-point play to start the fourth quarter got Hutch within 34-32 with 9:43 to play. After trading baskets made it 36-34 Garden, the Dragons had an opportunity to tie the game after a Brown steal, but Hutch committed its own turnover and Green hit a jumper for Garden City for a 38-34 lead with 7:53 to play. The Dragons later pulled within one at 41-40 after a Tia Bradshaw fastbreak layup with 3:38 to play. Garden City finished the game with a 15-8 run to earn the victory.

GAME NOTES – The Blue Dragons are now 67-19 all-time against Garden City and 37-5 at the Sports Arena. … Sara Cramer has had back-to-back four 3-pointer games and had nine games with three or more 3-pointers.