BLUE DRAGON MEN'S BASKETBALL |
No. 19 Hutchinson (17-3, 12-2) vs. Independence (1-20, 0-15) |
| When: Saturday, February 3, 2023 Where: Hutchinson Sports Arena, Hutchinson, KS Tipoff: 4:00 p.m. Radio: KHUT-FM (102.9); KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5), 3:45 p.m. - Glen Grunwald (PBP); Dan Naccarato (Color) Video: Blue Dragon Sports Network, 3:45 p.m. X: @bluedragonsport BLUE DRAGON GAME NOTES (PDF Format) |
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
After posting another solid defensive performance in a 21-point Jayhawk Conference road victory on Wednesday at Colby, the Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team returns to the Hutchinson Sports Arena on Saturday to meet the Independence Pirates.
The No. 19-ranked Blue Dragons (17-3, 12-2 KJCCC) and the Pirates (1-20, 0-15) square off in a Saturday matinee at 4 p.m. at the Sports Arena, where Hutchinson is 12-2 this season.
The game will be broadcast live on Blue Dragon flagship station KHUT-FM (102.9) and on sister stations KWBW-AM/FM (1450, 98.5) beginning at 3:45 p.m. with Glen Grunwald (PBP) and Dan Naccarato (color) calling the action. The game will be streamed live on the Blue Dragon Sports Network at 3:45 p.m.
The Blue Dragons have won three games in a row and 7 of their last 8 games. Led by Dallas Whitney's 19 points off the bench, the Blue Dragons earned a 77-56 win over Colby on Wednesday.
That game marked the fourth time this season the Blue Dragons limited an opponent to less than 60 points in a game. That defensive feat didn't happen at all last season and happened only five times from the 2019-20 season through the 2022-23 season.
During the Dragons' current three-game win streak, they have surrendered only 64.0 points per game and 38.7 percent overall shooting. The Dragons are forcing an average of 20.0 opponent turnovers over that span of games.
The Pirates come into Saturday's game on a 20-game losing streak, which was extended on Wednesday after a 94-80 home loss to Dodge City. Corey Curtis Jr. scored 24 points to lead the Pirates against Dodge City.
Curtis poured in 40 points in the first meeting this season with Hutchinson, a 108-89 Blue Dragon victory at the ICC Fieldhouse. Curtis hit 15 of 23 total shots, including five 3-pointers against the Blue Dragons. Five players scored in double figures to pace the Blue Dragons led by Zoe Holman's 23 points.
That victory by the Blue Dragons in November was the 20th consecutive win over Independence dating back to 2005. The Blue Dragons are 56-23 all-time against Independence. Hutchinson has won 14-straight games over the Pirates in the Sports Arena in a streak that dates back to 1965.
The Blue Dragon bench has been particularly productive, outscoring the opposition 41.7-18.0 over the last three games. Kernan Bundy is Hutchinson's leading scorer off the bench at 10.0 points per game for the season. Bundy is averaging 12.3 points in the last three games. Whitney is averaging 12.0 points off the bench.