BLUE DRAGONS REMAIN UNBEATEN IN ARENA, DOWN T-BIRDS

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

The Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team used an 11-0 first-half run to claim control over Cloud County Wednesday night and remained undefeated at the Sports Arena this season.

The Blue Dragons won their 17th consecutive home game dating back to last season after a 79-59 victory over the Thunderbirds to complete a season sweep.

The Blue Dragons improved to 16-4 overall and 10-4 in the Jayhawk Conference with their third-consecutive victory. Hutchinson travels to Pratt on Saturday, but the original tipoff time has been moved from 5:30 to 2 p.m. Cloud County fell to 10-9 and 6-7 in the KJCCC.

Trailing 9-7, a Hailey Hughes layup with 2:16 remaining in the opening quarter sparked a game-seizing 11-0 run over the next 3 minutes, 25 seconds. Two Mya Williams free throws with 9:02 to play in the second quarter gave the Blue Dragons an 18-9 lead. The Blue Dragons held Cloud County scoreless for 3:49.

After Cloud County pulled within 20-15, the Dragons re-asserted control of the game with a 10-0 over a 3-minute stretch of the second quarter to build a 30-15 lead. The Dragons maintained their double-digit lead for the remainder of the game.

Sophomore Tor'e Alford led four Blue Dragons scoring in double figures with 17 points. Alford hit 3 of 4 from 3-point range and added seven rebounds, a career-high six steals and four assists.

Sophomore Mele Kailahi finished with 16 points and seven rebounds. Kalyn Ervin tied a season high with three 3-pointers and finished with 14 points. Freshman Chanteese Craig had her first career game scoring in double figures with 11 points and six rebounds. Williams finished with nine points.

The Blue Dragons were 23 of 65 overall (35.4 percent), hitting 9 of 25 from 3-point range and 24 of 31 from the foul line. Rebounding was even at 43 boards each.

Rori Cox and Te Araroa Sopoanga finished with 20 points each to lead Cloud County. Sopoanga finished shooting 9 of 14 overall while Cox was 11 of 12 from the free-throw line and posted a double-double with 12 rebounds, four assists and four steals.

The Thunderbirds were 21 of 63 from the field, 5 of 22 from 3-point range and 12 of 14 from the free-throw line. Over the first three quarters, the Thunderbirds shot only 26.7 percent (12 of 45). Cloud County committed 26 turnovers.

The Blue Dragons had early offensive struggles. After Williams hit a 3-pointer with 8:01 to go in the first quarter, they went scoreless for 3:09 and without a field goal for 5:00. Cloud had two leads in that stretch – 6-3 after a Kay-Hauata Phillips field goal with 6:04 to go and 9-7 after a Paula Puzule 3-pointer with 2:40 to play.

Hughes tied the game with a layup with 2:16 to go. The Blue Dragons scored the final nine points of the quarter to lead 16-9. Williams completed the 11-0 surge with two free throws at the 9:02 mark of the second period for an 18-9 lead.

A Sopoanga layup with 7:16 to go cut the Dragon to 20-15. The Blue Dragons answered with a 10-0 run over the next 3 minutes and led 30-15 after two Williams free throws with 4:05 to play. The teams traded baskets for the remainder of the half and the Blue Dragons led 35-22 at halftime.

The Blue Dragons went on a 10-0 run early in the third quarter and raced out to a 45-24 lead with 4:59 to go in the quarter. After an Alford 3-pointer with 5:15 remaining in the quarter, the Blue Dragons went without a field goal for the next 5:45. That streak was snapped with a Kailahi jumper 30 seconds in the fourth quarter. The closest that Cloud County got was 15 points after a Makayla Twyman 3-pointer with 1:02 to play in the third quarter.

GAME NOTES – The Blue Dragons are now 47-27 all-time against Cloud County, including 21-12 at the Sports Arena. … Blue Dragon head coach John Ontjes earned all-time coaching win No. 410. … The Blue Dragons are 12-0 at the Sports Arena this season. … This was the fifth time this season that Kalyn Ervin has hit three 3-pointers in a game. … Tor'e Alford has collected 26 rebounds in her last three games. … Alford is now alone in seventh place on the career 3-point list with 140. … This was the ninth time this season that the Blue Dragons shot less than 40 percent.