OGLE NAMED WEST PLAYER OF THE YEAR; ONTJES COACH OF THE YEAR
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
Abby Ogle has one simple philosophy while in the basketball court – attack and full speed and don't look back.
That mentality helped her carry to the Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team to a Jayhawk West championship this season and on Tuesday being named the 2020 Jayhawk West Player of the Year.
Ogle was one of five Blue Dragons to earn postseason honors by the Jayhawk Conference. Head coach John Ontjes was named the league's Coach of the Year. Ogle and sophomore Makayla Vannett were named to the All-Jayhawk first team. Sophomore Brooklyn Betham was named to the second team and freshman Tor'e Alford was an honorable mention selection.
Hutchinson is 28-4 overall and was ousted in the semifinals of the Region VI Tournament. The Blue Dragons are waiting on word of they will make the NJCAA Tournament as an at-large team.
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ABBY OGLE – Jayhawk West Player of the Year; 1st-Team All-Jayhawk West
Ogle is the first Blue Dragon to win conference player of the year since Kirea Rogers in 2016 and is the fifth Blue Dragon since 2011 to win the award.
Always a staunch defender and player who always tallied plenty of hustle stats – steals, assists, rebounds – Ogle added scoring to her resume this season. Ogle averaged 15.4 points per game this season, which was seventh in the KJCCC this season.
She shot 59.2 percent from the field (third in the KJCCC). Her 37.5 percent efficiency from 3-point range (33 of 8 ranked third in the league. She shot 72.6 percent from the free-throw line.
Ogle ranks first in the KJCCC with 3.7 steals per game. She became only the second Blue Dragon ever to reach 200 steals for a career and just the sixth to reach 100 steals for a season with 114 this season. She also averages 6.4 rebounds per game (15th in KJCCC) and 3.7 assists (fifth in KJCCC).
Ogle had four double-doubles this season and led the team in scoring 14 times.
JOHN ONTJES - JAYHAWK WEST COACH OF THE YEAR
Now in his 13th season with the Blue Dragons, John Ontjes was named the conference Coach of the Year for the seventh time, the first since 2016.
Ontjes battled multiple injuries – leaving him with only seven healthy players for several games this season – and still put together a 28-4 overall season, winning the Jayhawk West for the eighth time with a 19-2 record.
The 2019-2020 Blue Dragons led the KJCCC this season in several categories including scoring offense (75.7 ppg), scoring defense (51.8 ppg), field-goal percentage (46.7 percent), 3-point percentage (34.7 percent), assists (17.7 per game), defensive field-goal percentage (31.1 percent) and defensive 3-point percentage (24.6 percent).
The Blue Dragons rank fourth nationally in scoring defense.
MAKAYLA VANNETT – 1st Team All-Jayhawk West
The 5-foot-6 sharpshooter from St. Paul, Minnesota averaged 13.1 points per game and posted the third-high 3-point percentage in the league this season at 39.0 percent.
Vannett is tied for the sixth-most 3-pointers in Blue Dragon single-season history going 94 of 241 shots from distance this season. She ranks third on the Blue Dragon career list with 188 career 3-pointers.
Vannett also averaged 3.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists.
She had career highs of 26 points and seven 3-pointers against Neosho County on December 4. Vannett had five games this season of five more 3-pointers.
Vannett moved into the Blue Dragon career Top 20 scoring on Monday in the Region VI semifinal loss. Vannett now has 807 points.
BROOKLYN BETHAM – 2nd Team All-Jayhawk West
A 6-3 transfer from Queensland, Australia, Betham stepped into the starting lineup right away.
After a bit of a slow start, Betham came on strong in the conference season, posting eight double-doubles, including a stretch of three in four games down the stretch to help the Dragons clinch the Jayhawk West title.
Betham averaged 10.7 points and 8.8 rebounds. She led the Jayhawk Conference in field-goal percentage at 61.8 percent.
Betham had 17 games of scoring in double figures and 10 of 10 or more bounds. Her career scoring high was 26 points against Garden City on February 8 and career-high rebounding game was 16 against Cowley in the quarterfinals of the Region VI Tournament.
TOR'E ALFORD – Honorable Mention All-Jayhawk West
Alford missed seven games in the middle of the season. Upon her return on January 22, Alford his three 3-pointers in a win over Dodge City and became another scoring threat to help the Dragons down the stretch clinch the league title.
A 5-6 freshman from Derby, Alford averaged 10.8 points per game while shooting 40.5 percent overall. Her 40.1 percent 3-point efficiency was second-best in the KJCCC this season. Her 57 made 3s tied Heather Robben (2009) for ninth on the Blue Dragon freshman 3-point list. Alford also averaged 3.7 assists per game in 25 total games played.
Alford had back to back games of 7 of 9 from 3-point range in regular-season win over Barton and added five more four days later in a conference-clinching win over Seward County at the Sports Arena.