BLUE DRAGON MEN'S BASKETBALL |
No. 15 Hutchinson (21-3, 16-2) vs. No. 22 Butler (19-5, 14-4)
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| When: Saturday, February 17, 2024 Where: Hutchinson Sports Arena, Hutchinson, KS Time: 4:00 p.m. Radio: KHUT-FM (102.9); KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5), 3:45 p.m. - Glen Grunwald (PBP); Daren Dunn (Color) Video: Blue Dragon Sports Network, 3:45 p.m. Game Sponsor: First National Bank of Hutchinson X: @bluedragonsport BLUE DRAGON GAME NOTES (PDF Format) |
Blue Dragon Sports Information
The first half of a crucial week for the Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team facing two nationally ranked opponents went the Blue Dragons' way.
Now No. 15 Hutchinson looks to continue it's late-season surge with a home battle against No. 22 Butler at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
The Blue Dragons (21-3, 18-2 Jayhawk Conference) and Grizzlies (19-5, 14-4) meet for the second time this season at 4 p.m. At halftime, the Blue Dragon Quarterback Club Hall of Fame Class of 2024 - Kadeem Allen, Jamie Patrick and Kyle Simonds - will be inducted.
Saturday's 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 (play-by-play) and Dan Naccarato (color) calling the action. The game will be streamed live an free on the Blue Dragon Sports Network at 3:45 p.m.
The Blue Dragons rallied from 14 points down in the second half on Wednesday to defeat No. 9 Cowley 88-86 at Scott Auditorium. Kobe Smith, who scored a career-high 20 points, hit the go-ahead bucket with 1.8 seconds remaining in regulation.
Tino Simon had his fourth-straight double-double with 20 points and 14 rebounds. Kamryn Thomas had 15 points. The 14-point comeback was the largest of the season for the Blue Dragons.
The victory gave Hutchinson an 8-0 record in true road games and a 3-2 record against ranked opponents this season. That victory was Hutchinson's first against a Top 10 opponent since defeating No. 8 Dodge City 113-112 on December 10, 2022 in Dodge City.
Hutchinson rides a season's-best seven-game winning streak into Saturday. The Blue Dragons moved into second place in the Jayhawk Conference, 1.5 games behind No. 2 Barton.
Butler sits in fourth place in the conference standings entering Saturday, two games behind the Blue Dragons for second. The Grizzlies have won two games in a row after defeating Garden City 93-83 last Saturday and Dodge City 84-76 on Wednesday on the road.
The Grizzlies shot 55.2 percent on Wednesday at Dodge City with Jaquez Thornton coming off the bench to lead a balanced offensive attack with 16 points.
Hutchinson claimed the first matchup with Butler this season, a 63-60 come-from-behind victory at the Power Plant in El Dorado. Kamryn Thomas hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 38 seconds to play as Hutchinson rallied from nine points down with 8:09 to play, closing the game on a 22-10 run.