Hutchinson CC Sports Information

A balanced offense and a stifling defense were the key ingredients to the No. 6 Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team to a victory in the first Polo Bar & Grill/Blue Dragon Holiday Classic on Friday at the Sports Arena.

The Blue Dragons held Iowa Western to less than 28 percent shooting and all 12 Hutch players to suit up scored as the Dragons defeated the Reivers 71-50. Earlier in the day, Barton routed Ellsworth 101-27 top open the Holiday Classic.

Hutchinson improves to 13-0 and will play Ellsworth at 3 p.m. on Saturday to close out the tournament. The Reivers fall to 8-7 and will play Barton at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

The Blue Dragons were led by sophomore Dejanae Roebuck's game-high 14 points on 6 of 10 shooting. Jada Mickens had 11 points and five rebounds. Tia Bradshaw finished with 11 points, scoring the game's first six points for Hutch to spark an early surge to take command.

The Dragons held their eighth opponent to 50 points or loss and fifth opponent to less than 30 percent shooting.

Iowa Western was held to 5 of 27 shooting (18.6 percent) in the first half, including 1 of 12 in the second quarter, as Hutchinson built a 34-18 lead at halftime.

The Dragons' defense held Iowa Western to 27.8 percent shooting for the game (15 of 54), including 5 of 19 from 3-point range. The Reivers were 15 of 29 from the free-throw line.

Hutchinson finished the game shooting 43.3 percent (26 of 60), hitting 5 of 19 from 3-point range and 14 of 19 from the free-throw line. The Dragons had a 40-36 rebounding advantage.

The Blue Dragons had a 31-15 scoring advantage off the bench with seven points each from Lauryn Mapusua and Kelsey Brett and six points from Tijuana Kimbro, who tied a career high for the third time this season with nine rebounds.

Kiara Dalmann led the Reivers with 13 points. Binta Salawu had 12 points.

Iowa Western had early leads of 3-0 and 5-3, but Bradshaw erased that by herself with a 3-point field goal and three-point play to give Hutch a 6-5 lead with 7:55 to play in the opening quarter. After a steal and layup by Sommer Blackmore, Iowa Western trailed 9-7 with 5:42 to play. The Dragons started to take command, closing the quarter on a 9-4 run to lead 18-11 after the opening period.

That late Hutch surge turned into a 21-7 run as Hutch built its largest lead of the game at 18 when Milan Schimmel knocked down a 3-pointer with 6:15 to play for a 30-12 Blue Dragon lead. Hutch allowed just one 3-pointer and four field goals in outscoring Iowa Western 16-7 in the second quarter to lead 34-18 at halftime.

Two Mickens free throws gave Hutch its first 20-point lead of the game at 38-18 with 8:53 to play in the third quarter. Mickens then added a three-point play with 4:40 to play to up the Dragon lead to 49-24 in the period. A Kimbro putback bucket with 3:50 to go upped the lead to 28 at 53-25 with 3:50 to go. The Dragons outscored the Reivers 23-13 in the third period shooting 53.3 percent to Iowa Western's 25 percent to lead 57-31 after three quarters.

Mickens knocked down a 3-pointer with 6:24 to play for a game-high 32-point lead at 67-35.

GAME NOTES – The Blue Dragons are now 21-5 all-time in Holiday Classics. … Hutch is 5-0 all-time against Iowa Western, posting the second-largest winning margin against the Reivers in series history. … This was this sixth time this season that the Blue Dragon bench scored at least 30 points in a single game. … The 18 points allowed in the first half was the third time this season the Blue Dragons have allowed 18 or less points in the opening half of a game. … Blue Dragon sophomore guard Kelsey Brett played against her twin sister Aimee Brett, who plays at Iowa Western.