DRAGONS, PIRATES MEET IN KEY JAYHAWK CLASH

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

The Hutchinson Community College Women's Basketball team looks to continue its late-season surge and do so against the team just ahead of the Blue Dragons in the Jayhawk Conference standings on Saturday.

The No. 22-ranked Blue Dragons go for their fourth-consecutive victory as the Independence Pirates come to the Sports Arena for a 5:30 p.m. matchup. This is the final regular-season game for Hutchinson this season. The Blue Dragons will play host to a Region VI Tournament opening-round game on Thursday, March 1.

Before the game will be the annual Blue Dragon Chili and Pie Feed beginning at 4:45 p.m. in the Sports Arena Practice gyms.

The game will be broadcast live by 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 live on the Blue Dragon Sports Network beginning at 5:20 p.m.

Independence (22-5, 20-4) is in second place in the Jayhawk Conference, one game behind leader Seward County. The Blue Dragons are in third place (23-5, 19-5) one game behind the Pirates.

A victory by the Blue Dragons would move Hutchinson into a second-place tie in the KJCCC and the inside track to the Region VI Tournament No. 2 overall seed by virtue of owning the head-to-head tiebreaker with Independence.

An Independence victory means the Pirates will be no worse than the second seed for Region VI and still have hopes for a shared Jayhawk Conference title heading into Monday's final games of the regular season.

Hutchinson won the first meeting with Independence, 56-53 on January 10 at Independence, the 14th- consecutive victory over the Pirates. The Blue Dragons were mired in foul trouble and trailed 41-40 after three quarters. Independence had six possessions to tie or take the lead in the final quarter, but was 0 of 6 in those situations.

Sara Cramer had 12 points, Dejanae Roebuck had 11 and Jada Mickens had 10 points. Fatarah Kinnard and Erica Moore had 12 each to lead Independence.

The Blue Dragons enter play on Saturday on a three-game winning streak. The Dragons shot a season-high 57.4 percent, had five players score in double figures and had six players with at least three assists in an 82-48 victory over Allen on Wednesday in Iola.

Over Hutch's three-game winning streak, the Dragons are averaging 74.7 points offensively and 50.0 points defensively. Hutch is shooting 48.8 percent – the highest this season for any three-game stretch – including 38.7 percent from 3-point range.

Independence has only a 48-hour prep for the Blue Dragons. The Pirates' game with Dodge City was pushed back to Thursday at the ICC Fieldhouse. The Pirates struggled for a 51-45 victory over the Conquistadors.

After Saturday, Hutchinson will have a 48-hour prep to travel to Dodge City for the regular-season finale on Monday in Dodge City.

After Saturday's game, the Blue Dragons will honor all three 2018 sophomores.