WILLIAMS MOVES IN TOP 10 CAREER SCORING; DRAGONS ROUT NORTHWEST TECH

Mya Williams joined the Blue Dragon career Top 10 in scoring and 3-point goals as the Blue Dragons rolled past Northwest Tech 81-52 on Wednesday in Goodland. (Sammi Carpenter/Blue Dragon Sports Information)

January 4, 2023

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

GOODLAND – The Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team began 2023 strong, shooting 49 percent and routing the Northwest Tech Mavericks 81-52 Wednesday at the Max Jones Fieldhouse.

The Blue Dragons earn their sixth win in league play and first win of 2023 while improving to 12-4 overall, 6-4 in the Jayhawk Conference.

Blue Dragons host Seward County 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the Sports Arena.

With 1:04 remaining in the first quarter, sophomore Mya Williams drained a 3-pointer to move her in the Top 10 of the Blue Dragon women all-time career 3-pointers made list. She followed that up with another try seconds later and moved in to the top 10 all-time in career scoring.

Williams passed Wendy Fehrenbach on the career 3-pointer list into 10th place on the career 3-point list list. She also passed Amanda Flick and Penny Fischer on the career scoring list following a co-game-high 16 points. Williams is now nine points away from leaping over Jackie Patterson for ninth all-time.

Freshman Monae Duffy had 16 points, shooting 8 of 10 with five rebounds and two assists.

Following a 23-7 first quarter, which the Blue Dragons ended with a 13-0 run, Hutchinson stretched its lead to 18 multiple times throughout the second period, the biggest momentum swing coming on a Ziya Simms 3-pointer and sophomore Natalie Payne offensive rebound and putback. That was part of an 11-0 run in the final 2:28, including a string of seven points in the final 30 seconds.

Payne had six points and eight rebounds off the bench.

Sophomore Morgan Browning put the Blue Dragons up by 24 at the halftime break finishing a layup and drawing a foul in the process. Following the free-throw miss, a Simms rebound and Browning putback put the Blue Dragons up 46-22 at halftime.

Right of the halftime gate, Duffy scored five of the Blue Dragons' seven points in a quick 7-2 spirt with a putback off an Armstead steal with 6:47 to go in the third quarter, putting Hutchinson up 53-24.

After being out for four games, sophomore Leata Te Nana-Williams entered the game with just over five minutes to go in the third quarter and immediately drilled a 3-pointer. That shot, a layup for Nana-Williams and a Williams 3-pointer made it a 37-point lead for Hutchinson with under 2:30 in the third.

Nana-Williams finished with seven points in her return. Sophomore Kali Howard finished with seven points and nine rebounds.

Armstead finished with 14 points Wednesday night, including a tough finish off a left-hand drive in the lane, and the foul with 1:24 in the third quarter. She converted on the free throw to push the Blue Dragon lead back to 36.

The Blue Dragons scored 23 points in each of the first three periods. Hutchinson outrebounded Northwest Tech 38-26, including a 10-4 deficit on the offensive glass.

GAME NOTES – Hutchinson is now 10-1 overall against Northwest Tech, including 5-0 on the road at Goodland and 9-0 against the Mavericks since they joined the Jayhawk Conference prior to the 2018-19 season. … The Blue Dragons have won back-to-back games. … Monae Duffy was one point shy of tying her career-high in scoring. … Mya Williams is the 10th Blue Dragon player to reach the career 900-point plateau. She has 908 career points and 116 career 3-point goals.