LATE SUTTINGTON FREE THROW CAPS DRAGON RALLY PAST SAINTS

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

LIBERAL – Ishante Suttington sank a tie-breaking free throw with 0.7 seconds remaining in the game to give the No. 16-ranked Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team sole possession of first place in the Jayhawk West Monday night.

Suttington's free throw capped a big game for her and a come-from-behind Jayhawk West road win for Hutchinson at the Green House. Trailing by as many as eight points in the fourth quarter, the Blue Dragons rallied for a 73-72 victory over the Saints.

Hutchinson won its seventh-straight game and improved to 11-2 overall and 10-2 in the Jayhawk West. The Dragons lead Seward County and Barton, the Dragons' opponent on Wednesday, by one game each in the loss column. The Saints fell to 7-3 overall and in league play.

Tied at 72 with 10 seconds to play, Suttington made a hard drive to the basket to draw a foul at the buzzer. The officials put 0.7 second back on the clock. Suttington made the first free throw and missed the second on purpose, not allowing the Saints a final opportunity at a game-winning shot attempt.

Suttington finished with 14 points and tied a season high with seven rebounds. This was Suttington's second go-ahead score in the final minute of a Blue Dragon win this season. Suttington scored with 36 seconds left at Northwest Tech on Feb. 24 in a 69-63 win over the Mavericks.

The Blue Dragons survived a season-high 29 turnovers and 10 Seward County 3-point goals, as well as a huge performance of Saints' forward Sierra Morrow, who scored 39 points. That mark tied Butler County's Betty Lennox for the second-most points scored by an individual Blue Dragon opponent in team history. Lennox scored 39 against the Dragons on February 28, 1996.

Hutchinson led 42-31 with 6:20 to play in the third quarter. Morrow sparked a Saints' comeback by scoring 29 points in the final 16:20 of the second half. Morrow was 10 of 17 shooting, knocking down 4 of 8 from 3-point range and 15 of 16 from the free-throw line.

The fourth quarter was a wild one for both teams on Monday night.

Hutchinson led 51-45 heading into the fourth quarter. With the Dragon lead down to one, the Saints parlayed a Tor'e Alford offensive foul and Lojong Gore technical foul into a 9-0 run. Morrow hit a 3-pointer with 6:43 to play to give Seward County a 61-53 lead.

Alford started the Dragon comeback with field goals on three-straight possessions, the third pulled the Dragons within 61-59 with 5:12 remaining. Suttington gave the Dragons a 64-63 lead on a three-point play with 4:21 remaining.

The Blue Dragons led 72-67 after two Alford free throws with 49 seconds left. Seward tied the game with a Sanaa Smith 3-pointer with 45 seconds left and a Sierra Lynch field goal with 10 seconds remaining, which set up Suttington's heroics.

Nafatoumata Haidara also had 14 points to lead the Blue Dragons. K.K. Adams finished with nine points. Alford scored all eight of her points in the fourth quarter. Kate Ogle finished with eight points and a season-high 11 rebounds.

The Blue Dragons shot 40 percent for the game (24 of 60), hitting just 3 of 15 from the 3-point line and 22 of 28 from the free-throw line. The Blue Dragons had a 51-39 rebounding advantage.

Hutchinson held Seward County to 29.6 percent shooting (21 of 71). The Saints hit 10 of 29 from distance and 20 of 24 from the foul line. Seward County also had 20 turnovers.

GAME NOTES – The Blue Dragons are now 47-48 all-time against Seward County with three-straight wins against the Saints. Hutchinson is 18-29 in Liberal. … The Dragons snapped a four-game streak of not scoring 70 or more points in a game. … Hutch's 29 turnovers produced only a 24-23 advantage for the Saints in points off turnovers. … The Dragons had a 40-22 advantage in points in the paint. … The Dragons reached 50 or more rebounds in a game for the fourth time this season. … This was the fourth time this season the Dragons held an opponent to less than 30 percent shooting.