BLUE DRAGON MEN'S BASKETBALL |
No. 22 Hutchinson (19-6, 10-6) at Pratt (11-14, 4-12)When: Monday, February 11, 2019 |
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
The Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team is hoping for a case of short-term memory loss.
The Blue Dragons suffered the third-worst loss in team history on Saturday night at Garden City. With the chances of a Jayhawk West title slim, the Blue Dragons look to turn things around on Monday night with a road trip to take on the Pratt Beavers.
Game time on Monday is 8 p.m. at Pratt's Dennis Lesh Sports Arena. The game will be broadcast live on Blue Dragon flagship station KHUT-FM (102.9) and on sister stations KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5) with Glen Grunwald (play-by-play) and Rusty Hilst (analysis) beginning at 7:50 p.m. The Blue Dragon Sports Network will also stream the game live at 7:50 p.m.
The Blue Dragons are reeling with losses in three of their last four games. That rough patch has seen Hutchinson slip three games off the pace of Seward County in the Jayhawk West title chase. The Blue Dragons need one win in its last five games to clinch a Region VI Tournament opening-round home game.
The Blue Dragons will also make their second attempt at all-time men's basketball victory No. 1,800. Hutchinson is the all-time Division I winner in men's basketball.
The first attempt didn't go well as Garden City controlled the second half on Saturday in a 93-58 victory over Hutchinson. The Dragons led most of the first half, but trailed 35-32 at halftime. Shooting just 28 percent in the second half, the Blue Dragons were outscored 58-26 in the final 20 minutes to suffer the third-worst loss in team history.
After the first meeting with Hutchinson on January 19 at the Sports Arena, Pratt went on a three-game winning streak, but has since lost three in a row to Colby, Barton and Seward County. The Beavers dropped a 76-53 decision to Seward County on Saturday night.
While recent series history between Hutchinson and Pratt has been one filled with fast-paced, high-scoring games, the first Blue Dragon meeting with the Beavers this season was the complete opposite. The Blue Dragons had to rally for a 60-57 victory.
Pratt led 55-50 with 3:59 remaining. The Blue Dragons held Pratt scoreless for the next 3 minutes, 50 seconds – Pratt didn't have a field goal in the final 4:26 – Rheaquone Taylor's tough inside basket with 2:01 left tied the game at 55. Neither team could score the go-ahead basketball until D.J. Mitchell unloaded a long 3-point attempt from the left wing with 22 seconds left to give Hutch a 58-55 lead.
Pratt's only points of the final 3:50 came with 9 seconds to play on two Drew Maschoff free throws. Mitchell matched those with two free throws with 6.8 seconds left and Pratt couldn't get a final 3-point shot to drop on the final possession of the game.
Mitchell scored a game-high 17 points to lead the Blue Dragons. He was 1 of 7 on 3-pointers until his game-winning shot.