DRAGONS HOPE TO STOP SKID WEDNESDAY

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

With the chances of repeating as Jayhawk Conference champions almost gone, the focus of the Hutchinson Community College Women's Basketball Team over the last five games of the regular season is to turn things around.

Now No. 23 in the latest NJCAA Rankings, the 20-5 Blue Dragons try to snap a two-game losing streak on Wednesday when Hutchinson travels to Great Bend for a 5:30 p.m. game against the Barton Cougars.

The game will be broadcast live on Blue Dragon flagship station KHUT-FM (102.9) and on sister stations KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5) beginning at 5:20 p.m. with Glen Grunwald (play-by-play) and Rusty Hilst (analysis) calling the action). The game will also be streamed on the Blue Dragon Sports Network at 5:20 p.m.

The last two games have been rough going offensively for the Blue Dragons in home losses to Garden City and Butler. The Dragons are averaging only 51 points per game, shooting 43 percent in the last two games. The two most-glaring negative numbers is 48 total turnovers and 8 of 25 free-throw shooting over the last two games.

The positives are freshman Sara Cramer breaking out of her shooting slump with 16.0 points per game on 7 of 12 3-point shooting.

Barton (13-12, 10-11) enters the game also on a two-game losing streak and is 3-7 in its last 10 games. The Cougars lost to Independence 71-59 last Wednesday and were upset by Dodge City 55-51 on Saturday.

Jaylin Stapleton leads the Cougars at 13.7 points per game to lead the Cougars. Taylor Regan and Mallory Miller both average 10.2 points per game. Miller is shooting 41.7 percent from 3-point range, which ranks second in the Jayhawk Conference. Miller, who had a 10 made 3s in a game this season vs. Colby, is averaging 2.3 makes per game.

The Cougars are averaging 66.7 points offensively shooting 38.6 percent and 35.2 percent from long range. Defensively, Barton is allowing 66.0 points per game.

Hutchinson won the first meeting with Barton this season, defeating the Cougars 72-53 on December 9 at the Sports Arena.

The Blue Dragons shot a season-low 28 percent for the game, but hit a season-high 12 3-point goals, six by Cramer. Jada Mickens had 28 points and 14 rebounds. Juliana Chagas had 23 points to lead Barton. She has not played in the past several games.

The Blue Dragons enter play on Wednesday tied for third in the Jayhawk with Cowley, three games out of first place with five games to play.