Hutchinson CC Sports Information
After back-to-back games scoring well over 100 points, the Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team had a costly cold-shooting night against Cloud County on Wednesday at the Sports Arena.
The No. 8-ranked Blue Dragons shot a frigid 35.9 percent from the floor and missed 14 free throws in an 87-82 Jayhawk Conference loss to the Thunderbirds.
The Blue Dragons fall to 17-3 overall and 11-3 in the KJCCC. Hutchinson remained only one game out of first place in the league after Dodge City lost to Cowley on Wednesday.
Hutchinson had its regularly-scheduled game on Saturday at Pratt postponed. Up next for the Blue Dragons is a home matchup with Barton next Wednesday at the Sports Arena.
The Blue Dragons were 28 of 78 shooting from the field, the second-worst shooting percentage this season. Hutchinson was 8 of 35 from the 3-point line and 18 of 32 from the foul line, including just 11 of 21 in the second half.
Cloud County was anything but cold, shooting an opponent season-high 62.0 percent from the floor (31 of 50). The Thunderbirds were only 4 of 8 from 3-point range, but nailed 21 of 34 from the free-throw line. The Thunderbirds outscored Hutchinson 54-36 in the paint.
Sophomore Kaimen Lennox hit three 3-pointers and led the Blue Dragons with 18 points.
Sophomore Jacquez Yow just missed a double-double with 17 points and nine rebounds. Leading scorer Angelo Stuart had three 3-pointers and finished with 15 point.
The Blue Dragons out-rebounded Cloud County 47-33 and had 29 offensive rebounds, but had 19 turnovers in the game.
Corey Sawyer led Cloud County with 31 points, going 10 of 13 from the field and 11 of 11 from the free-throw line. Savian Edwards had 14 points, Joe Kearney had 13 and Zion Obanla had 10.
The Blue Dragons had an uphill battle all night against Cloud County.
Back-to-back Edwards 3-pointers gave the Thunderbirds a 16-10 lead with 13:38 to go in the first half. An 8-2 run helped the Blue Dragons take a 25-23 lead on a Zavion McClendon 3-pointer with 9:14 to play. The Thunderbirds answered with a 6-0 run and ultimately took a seven-point first-half lead at 36-29 on a DeMarco Clayton jumper with 5:20 to play in the half.
Five-straight points by Yow – a short 2-point jumper and a 3-pointer – got the Dragons within two at 36-34, but the Blue Dragons trailed at halftime 42-38.
Hutchinson opened the second half strong, scoring 12 of the first 14 points of the second half. Back-to-back layups by Yow capped the run and Hutchinson led 50-44 with 15:17 to play.
The hot-shooting T-Birds immediately answered with a 13-1 run over the next 4:30 and took a 57-51 lead after an Edwards layup with 10:36 to play.
The Cloud County lead grew to 70-59 with 6:24 remaining. The Dragons reeled off seven in a row to pull within 70-66 after a Lennox transition hoop with 5:26 remaining. A Lennox 3-pointer with 3:34 remaining pulled the Blue Dragons within 75-71, but Cloud County had a dagger 6-0 run over the next 1:07 to rebuild a 10-point lead.
GAME NOTES – The Blue Dragons are now 55-20 all-time against Cloud County, including 32-3 at the Sports Arena. … This was Cloud County's first win in the Arena since January 31, 2007 (15 games). … Cloud is the third-straight opponent to shoot better than 50 percent this season. … The Blue Dragons have been out-shot in games this season 16 times, but are 13-3 in those games. …