Hutchinson CC Sports Information
GREAT BEND – The No. 7 Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team responded to several early challenges by Monroe Community College in the Cougar Booster Club Classic on Friday at the Barton Gym.
Monroe staggered the Blue Dragons by scoring the first six points of the game and building three different six-point advantages in the first half. Hutchinson rebounded with a 24-point turnaround over the remainder of the half and ultimately went on to defeat previously unbeaten Monroe 114-91.
The Blue Dragons improve to 6-0 heading into Saturday's Booster Club Classic matchup with 4-2 Iowa Western at 3 p.m. the Mustangs fell to 2-1.
The Blue Dragons got huge games from sophomores D.J. Mitchell and Tyler Brown and freshman Majok Kuath, who combined for 80 points.
Mitchell scored a career-high 28 points on 5 of 10 3-point shooting. He hit four early 3-pointers to kick-start the Blue Dragons, who trailed Monroe 22-16 with 12:09 remaining in the first half. Mitchell knocked down 4 of 6 3-pointers and finished with 20 points in the first half. Mitchell finished hitting 5 of 10 3-pointers in the game.
Brown didn't get going from the field until the second half, but wound up hitting five shots from distance in the second half to lead the Dragons to a 61-point period. Brown also hit 11 of 13 free throws to finish with a career-high 26 points.
Kuath also scored a career-best 26 points on 9 of 11 shooting from the field and 8 of 10 from the foul line.
The Blue Dragons shot better than 50 percent for the fourth time in six games hitting 33 of 63 shots (52.4 percent). The Dragons hit 10 of 22 3-point shots and 38 of 51 free throws. The Blue Dragons out-rebounded Monroe 52-39, but allowed 17 Mustang offensive rebounds and turned the ball over 24 times.
Josh Baker and Jaden Okon both had seven points.
Zion Styles and Ja'Mani Eaton had 15 points each to lead Monroe. Juan Felix Rodriguez and Jeremiah Kendall had 14 each. The Mustangs finished shooting 29 of 78 from the field (37.2 percent), going 6 of 29 from 3-point range and 27 of 38 from the foul line. Monroe had 18 turnovers.
Monroe hit 9 of its first 20 shots in building a 22-16 lead in the first half. The Blue Dragons then held the Mustangs to 3 of 18 shooting over the remainder of the half as Hutchinson outscored Monroe 35-11 to close the first half.
The Blue Dragons built leads as large as 33 points in the second half.