FRANKLIN’S 34-POINT OUTBURST POWERS HUGE HUTCHCC WIN

Kernan Bundy hammers home a dunk in the No. 13 Blue Dragons' 113-105 win over No. 7 Triton on Friday night at the Sports Arena. (Billy Watson/Blue Dragon Sports Information)
Kernan Bundy hammers home a dunk in the No. 13 Blue Dragons' 113-105 win over No. 7 Triton on Friday night at the Sports Arena. (Billy Watson/Blue Dragon Sports Information)

BLUE DRAGON MEN'S BASKETBALL

No. 13 Hutchinson (2-0) vs. NEO (1-1)
BSN Sports Tipoff Classic

When: Saturday, November 5, 2022
Where: Hutchinson Sports Arena
Time: 7:30 p.m.
3 p.m. Game: Barton vs. Triton
Radio: KHUT-FM (102.9); KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5), 7:15 p.m. – Glen Grunwald (PBP); Dan Naccarato (Color)
Video: Blue Dragon Sports Network, 7:15 p.m.
Twitter: @bluedragonsport

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

Redshirt freshman Aaron Franklin tallied a career-high point total for the second-straight game and helped the No. 13 Hutchinson Community College Men's Basketball team to a huge victory over the No. 7 team in the NJCAA on Friday.

Franklin scored 20 or his career-high 34 points in the second half to lead the Blue Dragons to a thrilling 113-105 victory over the Triton College Trojans on Day 1 of the BSN Sports Tipoff Classic at the Sports Arena.

Hutchinson (2-0) closes out its only home classic with NEO (1-1) at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. Triton (1-1) squares off against Barton (2-0) at 3 p.m.

The Blue Dragons built a game-high 20-point lead after a Jayden Garrison layup with 59 seconds left in the first half. Triton scored the final five points of the half to cut the Dragon lead to 58-43. The Trojans extended that run to start the second half and pulled with 58-49 with 18:30 to play in the game.

The Tritons cut the Dragon lead to as few as five points five different times in the second half, the final time when Keyondre Young nailed a 3-pointer with 3:06 left to give the Dragons a 103-98 lead.

Franklin then slammed the Door on Triton with back-to-back baskets to push the Dragon lead back to 107-98 with 2:14 to play.

Franklin established a new career high with 28 points against Fort Scott on Tuesday. The Blue Dragon redshirt freshman roared past that mark going shooting 16 of 23 overall, going 2 of 6 from the 3-point line. Franklin also had a career-high eight rebounds

Franklin is the first Blue Dragon since Jacquez Yow to break the 30-point mark since last season.

Five Blue Dragons scored in double figures against Triton on Friday.

Aaron Potter went 4 of 7 from 3-point range and finished with 15 points.

Kernan Bundy finished with 14 points, six rebounds, four steals and three assists. Antonio Green had 21 points with seven rebounds and three steals. Ra'sean Frederick finished with 11 points.

The Blue Dragons shot 45.7 percent for the game (42 of 92), going 8 of 34 from 3-point range and 21 of 28 from the foul line. The Dragons out-rebounded Triton 58-40. The Dragons had 25 turnovers and forced 28 Trojan turnovers.

T.J. Beil had 29 points to lead Triton. Brandon Mantu and Young had 22 points each.

Triton hit 13 of 33 from 3-point range and shot 35 of 78 from the field overall.