BLUE DRAGON MEN'S BASKETBALL |
No. 6 Hutchinson (19-11) vs. No. 11 Northwest Tech (12-18)
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When: Saturday, March 4, 2023 |
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
The Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team will make its 72nd appearance in the Region VI Tournament with an opening-round matchup against the Northwest Tech Mavericks.
Seeded sixth in the tournament, the Blue Dragons (19-11) play host to the 11th-seeded Mavericks (12-18) at 2 p.m. on Saturday at the Hutchinson Sports Arena. The Hutchinson/Northwest Tech winner will travel to No. 3 seed Barton on Tuesday in Great Bend.
Blue Dragon flagship station KHUT-FM (102.9) and sister stations KWBW-AM/FM (1450.98.5) will broadcast the game with Glen Grunwald (play-by-play) and Dan Naccarato (color) calling the action. The game will also be streamed live on the Blue Dragon Sports Network. Both broadcasts start at 1:45 p.m.
The Blue Dragons are 142-51 all-time in the Region VI Tournament. Hutchinson is 41-8 all-time in opening/second-round games in tournament history.
Saturday's matchup will be the third Region VI Tournament matchup between Hutchinson and Northwest Tech. The Blue Dragons opened up their run to the 2013 Region VI championship with a 90-82 victory over the Mavericks at the Sports Arena. The Dragons defeated the Mavericks 92-81 in the 2014 Region VI Semifinals.
The Blue Dragons swept the 2023 season series with Northwest Tech, winning two very different games to do so.
Kernan Bundy scored a career-high 28 points and hit five 3-pointers to lead the Blue Dragons to a narrow 90-87 victory over Tech on January 4 in the first game back from the holiday break. Then on Feb. 18 at the Sports Arena, the Blue Dragons shot a season-high 64.6 percent and nailed 14 3-point goals in a 115-74 victory.
The Blue Dragons enter the Region VI Tournament on a four-game winning streak after a decisive 80-60 victory over No. 23 Garden City on Wednesday at the Sports Arena. Dre Weathers and Ra'Sean Frederick scored 17 points each to pace the Blue Dragons.
Hutchinson's defense has been strong over the last four games. The Blue Dragons are allowing 68.0 points per game and 46.2 percent shooting to the last four Hutchinson opponents. The Dragons are a plus 14.4 in rebounding margin. Offensively over that span, the Blue Dragons are averaging 90.0 points per game and are shooting 54.4 percent, the best four-game stretch for Hutchinson this season shooting the ball.
Northwest Tech sent shock waves through the Jayhawk Conference on the final day of the regular season on Wednesday when the Mavericks upset Coffeyville 81-77 in Goodland. That prevented the Red Ravens from tying Dodge City as conference champions.