Hutchinson CC Sports Information

The Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team opens its 45th postseason on Wednesday in the quarterfinal round of the 2021 Region VI Basketball Tournament.

The top-seeded Blue Dragons (18-4), champions of the Jayhawk West, take on the eighth-seeded Cowley Tigers (15-8) at 5:30 p.m. at the Hutchinson Sports Arena. The Blue Dragons earned an opening-round bye, while the Tigers defeated Pratt 79-65 on Monday in Arkansas City.

The Hutchinson-Cowley winner advances to the Region VI Semifinals to play the Seward County/Independence winner at Noon on Friday at Friends University in Wichita.

This will be the second year in a row and 13th time that Hutchinson and Cowley will meet in the Region VI Tournament. Last season in the quarterfinal round in Dodge City, the Blue Dragons defeated the Tigers 69-48, avenging a regular-season buzzer-beating loss in Arkansas City. The teams are tied 6-6 in postseason meetings.

This season, it will be the Tigers looking for revenge as Hutchinson pulled away late in the second quarter for an 84-61 victory on February 11 at Scott Auditorium in Arkansas City.

K.K. Adams had 17 points with three 3-pointers to lead four Blue Dragons in double figures in the first meeting. Ishante Suttington had 16. Martyna Kowalski had 18 points and 10 rebounds to lead Cowley. Baylee Fincher had 16 points.

The Blue Dragons are 18-16 in the Region VI Tournament quarterfinal round, winning 12-straight regional quarterfinal games.

Hutchinson enters the postseason averaging 71.1 points per game, while allowing 57.5 points per contest. The Blue Dragons shoot 42.2 percent overall and 33.8 percent from 3-point range.

Cowley is the No. 2-ranked scoring offense in the KJCCC at 80.3 points per game. The Tigers allow 66.1 points per contest. The Tigers 8.2 made 3-pointers per game and shoot 28 percent from distance.