VANNETT, HAIDARA SPARK DRAGONS PAST LABETTE

Nafatoumata Haidara has 12 points and seven rebounds off the bench to spark the No. 7 Blue Dragon women to a 64-49 victory over Labette in the opening game of the Cougar Booser Club Classic on Friday in Great Bend.

November 15, 2019

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

GREAT BEND – Sophomore Makayla Vannett scored a career-high 22 points and Nafatoumata Haidara played big minutes off the bench to lead the No. 7-ranked Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team to a 64-49 victory over Labette to open the Cougar Booster Club Classic at the Barton Gym.

The Blue Dragons improve to 5-0 and will take on Jefferson College at 1 p.m. Saturday in Day 2 of the Booster Club Classic. Labette falls to 2-3.

Returning to the lineup after a one-game absence because of injury, Vannett tied a career high six 3-point field goals in 12 attempts. She hit four 3-pointrs in the first half to help Hutch turn around an early five point deficit. She hit a 3-pointer with 2:24 to play that gave Hutch a 15-14 lead. Vannett then her fourth trey of the half with 11 seconds to play that gave the Blue Dragons 34-26 lead at halftime.

Now with 104 career 3-pointers, Vannett moves in the career Top 10, moving past K.C. Hilgenkamp (1998-2000) into 10th place on the Hutchinson career 3-point list.

With center Brooklyn Betham and forward Abby Ogle strapped with two early fouls and on the bench, Haidara was huge with 11 first halftime, finishing the game with 12 points and seven rebounds in a season-high 24 minutes.

Hutchinson finished shooting 46.3 percent (25 of 54), knocking down 9 of 20 from 3-point range and just 5 of 8 from the foul line. The Blue Dragons were out-rebounded 36-35 and turned the ball over 16 times.

Tor'e Alford was 3 of 5 from 3-point range and finished with 11 points and six assists. Betham scored eight of her 10 points in the second half. She added five rebounds. Lauryn Mapusua had seven points.

Labette shot 31.0 percent (18 of 58) overall, hitting 3 of 10 from the 3-point line and 7 of 10 from the foul line. The Cardinals had 19 turnovers.

Denijsha scored 13 points and Diamond Jones added 10 points, six assists and three steals to lead Labette.

A Vannett 3-pointer tied the game at 8 before Labette scored five in a row on a two-pointer by Kymora Westmoreland and a Jones 3-pointer gave Labette a 13-8 lead with 4:26 to play in the first quarter. Vannett's second 3-pointer of the game gave Hutch a 15-14 lead. Then tied at 15, Haidara scored inside with seven seconds left to a 17-15 Blue Dragon lead after one quarter.

Labette led 22-19 early in the second quarter. The Dragons grabbed the lead back on an Alford jumper with 4:51 to play. Haidara followed that with a bucket to give the Blue Dragons a 25-22 lead with 4:24 to play in the second quarter. Leading 26-24. Mapusua hit a 15-foot jumper and Alford and Vannett hit 3-pointers in an 8-2 run for a 34-26 Blue Dragon lead at halftime.

The Blue Dragons pushed the lead to double figures for the first time on an Alford 3-pointer for a 43-32 lead with 6:19 remaining in the third quarter. Hutch led 48-38 after three quarters. The Cardinals went on a 9-0 run to cut the Hutch lead to 50-45 with 7:47 to play in the fourth quarter. The Dragons answered back with a Betham jumper, Alford 3-pointer and Vannett jumper to bump its lead back to 57-45 with 5:48 remaining.

Hutchinson scored the final eight points of the game and held Labette without a field goal for the final 5:15 of the fourth quarter.