LATE SURGE POWERS DRAGONS PAST CLOUD COUNTY

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

CONCORDIA – After struggling through the lowest-scoring third quarter of the season, the Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team dominated the final 3 minutes at Cloud County Wednesday night to remain unbeaten heading into the Christmas break.

Leading by just 3 points with 3 minutes to play, the No. 7-ranked Blue Dragons used a 10-2 run to close out and defeat the Thunderbirds 60-49 at the Thunderdome.

The Blue Dragons improve to 12-0 overall and 5-0 in the Jayhawk West. Cloud County drops to 10-4 and 3-2 in the Jayhawk East. Hutchinson will now be off until December 28 when the Blue Dragons will play host to the Polo Bar and Grill/Blue Dragon Holiday Classic at the Sports Arena. Hutchinson will play Iowa Western on December 28 and Ellsworth on December 29. Barton Community College is the fourth team in the tournament.

In a game of runs, the Blue Dragons had leads of 10 and nine points evaporate down to one-possession games.

The Dragons led 30-20 after a Milan Schimmel layup with 1:39 left in the second quarter. That lead dwindled to five before Makayla Johnson scored with 15 seconds left in the half to give Hutch a 32-27 halftime lead.

The Blue Dragons went scoreless for 5 minutes, 17 seconds of the third quarter and Cloud County went on a 10-0 run to take a 37-36 lead with 3:18 left after two Scout Frame free throws. The Dragons went on a 5-0 run highlighted by a Tia Bradshaw 3-pointer and Hutch led 41-37 late in the period. Cloud scored the final points of the quarter and the Blue Dragons led 41-39 heading to the fourth quarter.

Hutch's nine third-quarter points were a season-low.

The Blue Dragons started the fourth with a 9-2 run capped by an Abby Ogle layup to lead 50-41 with 4:42 remaining in the fourth quarter. Cloud County answered with a 6-0 run over the next 3 minutes to cut the Dragon lead to 50-47 with 2:58 left after a Kamryn Collins 3-pointer. Two Bradshaw free throws with 2:42 to play were the start of a game-clinching 10-2 run for Hutchinson.

The Dragons outscored Cloud County 19-10 in the fourth quarter.

Roebuck led the Blue Dragons with her third double-double of the season and 16th of her career with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Roebuck was 7 of 10 shooting with a pair of 3-pointers.

Ogle scored eight of her 10 points in the fourth quarter and had five steals.

With the Blue Dragons in foul trouble, Johnson played huge first-half minutes and produced season highs of 10 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots. She also hit her first 3-pointer of the season.

Bradshaw finished with eight points and five assists.

The Blue Dragons finished the game shooting 35.8 percent (19 of 53), including 5 of 19 from 3-point range and 17 of 22 from the free-throw line. The Dragons had a 42-32 rebounding advantage. Each team had 20 turnovers.

Cassidy Hauffler had 17 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots to lead Cloud County. Frame finished with nine points and Emmiley Hendrixson had eight.

The Thunderbirds were 17 of 56 shooting overall (30.4 percent), going 4 of 21 from 3-point range and 11 of 12 from the free-throw line.

GAME NOTES – The Blue Dragons are 43-27 all-time against Cloud County, including 21-13 in Concordia. … Tijuana Kimbro posted a career-best nine rebounds. .. The Blue Dragons are 5-0 in true road games this season. … The game featured six ties and four lead changes. … This will be Hutchinson's only regular-season meeting with Cloud County.