DRAGONS TURN IN DEFENSIVE GYM AGAINST SAINTS
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
The No. 20-ranked Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team administered a masterful defensive performance in a rout of the Seward County Saints on Saturday afternoon at the Sports Arena.
The Blue Dragons limited the Saints to 40.2 points under their season scoring average and 17.5 percent overall shooting in a 68-41 KJCCC victory.
Hutchinson improved to 8-2 overall and 3-1 in the KJCCC with the victory. The Blue Dragons travel to play at Barton at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday in Great Bend. Seward County fell to 7-3 overall and 2-2 in the league.
The Dragons held Seward County to 10 of 57 shooting overall, including just 1 of 24 shooting by the Saints in the second and third quarters. The Blue Dragons broke the game open in those periods, outscoring Seward County 38-15.
This was the 19th time in the John Ontjes era that the Blue Dragons have held an opponent to less than 20 percent shooting in a game. The 17.5 percent by the Saints was the seventh-lowest shot percentage allowed by an Ontjes team. This is also the second time in series history the Dragons have held Seward County to less than 20 percent shooting. Hutchinson held Seward to 18.1 percent on February 25, 2015.
Sophomore Katie Duncan posted her second-straight 21-point scoring game to lead the Blue Dragons. Duncan was 9 of 12 shooting, including 3 of 5 from 3-point range.
Freshman KaMyra Barber posted her second career double-double with 15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds and a season-high-tying five assists.
Sophomore Jamya McPherson came off the bench to score a KJCCC season-high eight points. Sophomore Dylan Alexander had six points, while freshman point guard Whitney Brown had five points and six assists.
The Blue Dragons shot 43.1 percent (25 of 58), hitting 7 of 21 from 3-point range and 11 of 20 from the free-throw line. The Dragons out-rebounded Seward County 43-41. The Dragons had 16 assists to 12 turnovers with 13 blocks and a season-high eight blocked shots.
The Saints were 5 of 22 from 3-point range and hit 16 of 17 free throws in the game. They suffered 18 turnovers.
Avery Marchino, the KJCCC's leading scorer scored a game-high 22 points, but of 5 of 15 shooting. She was 9 of 9 from the foul line. Tyniah Smith had eight points for Seward County.
The game was tied at 11 after the first quarter, but Hutchinson outscored Seward County 16-6 in the second quarter, holding the Saints to 0 of 12 shooting in the period. Leading 16-15 with 7:28 to play in the second quarter, the Dragons closed the period on an 11-2 run to led 27-17 at halftime.
Seward County went 15 minutes, 31 seconds between field goals, snapping that drought with a Marchino 3-pointer at the 5:09 mark of the third quarter. The Dragons held Seward to 1 of 12 shooting in the third quarter and took a 49-26 lead into the final stanza.
GAME NOTES – The Blue Dragons won their eight-straight game over Seward County and now lead the all-time series 56-50. … The 41 points allowed were the fourth fewest in the Saints' series. … Noelle Anthon had a career-best three blocked shots. … Kaia Smith tied a season high with eight rebounds.