BLUE DRAGON MEN'S BASKETBALL |
Hutchinson (12-6, 6-6) at Independence (6-12, 4-8) |
| When: Wednesday, January 19, 2023 At: ICC Fieldhouse, Independence, KS Tipoff: 7:30 p.m. Radio: KHUT-FM (102.9); KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5), 7:15 p.m. - Glen Grunwald (PBP); Steve Carpenter (Color) Video: Blue Dragon Sports Network, 7:15 p.m. Twitter: @bluedragonsport CLICK FOR FULL GAME NOTES (PDF Format) |
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
The Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team looks to regroup after a Saturday loss at Garden City and tries to do so with a tough road battle on Wednesday at Independence.
The Blue Dragons (12-6, 6-6 KJCCC) and Pirates (6-12, 4-8 KJCCC) tip off the second half of the Jayhawk Conference season at 7:30 p.m. at the ICC Fieldhouse in Independence.
The game will be streamed live on the Blue Dragon Sports Network beginning at 7:15 p.m. The game will also be broadcast live on Blue Dragon flagship station KHUT-FM (102.9) and sister stations KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5) beginning at 7:15 p.m.
After last Saturday's 117-97 loss at Garden City, the Blue Dragons start the second trip to the KJCCC tied for seventh place with Seward County and Pratt at 6-6. The Dragons are just one game out of four place and are four games behind first-place Dodge City after the first half of the KJCCC season.
The Blue Dragons had a three-point lead over Garden City late in the first half, but the Busters scored the final nine points of the opening half and outscored the Blue Dragons 64-50 in the final 20 minutes.
Sophomore Jayden Garrison poured in a career-high 31 points, matching a career high with 7 of 11 3-pointers to pace the Dragons, who shot better than 50 percent for the second time this season.
The Blue Dragons defeated Independence 99-94 in the 2022-23 Jayhawk Conference opener on November 16 at the Sports Arena. Aaron Franklin scored a career-high 36 points in the first meeting with the Pirates. Franklin added 10 rebound and a career-best six steals. Kernan Bundy and Aaron Potter scored 13 points each and Garrison added 10 points. Johan Nziemi hit 13 of 15 total shot attempts to score a team-high 34 points to lead Independence.
The Pirates have lost 3 of 4, including an 84-81 home loss to Butler on Saturday. All three of those losses were by four points or less. Seven of Independence's 12 losses this season have been by less than 10 points.
Josh Smith had 26 points and Kam Parker had 20 points to lead the Pirates in the Saturday loss to Butler.
With 205 3-point goals already this season, the 2022-23 Blue Dragons have already climbed to No. 9 on the Hutchinson team 3-point charts for a season. Last season, the Blue Dragons obliterated the team record with 321 3-point goals.