Hutchinson CC Sports Information
For the second time this season, the Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team rallied from at least a 15-point deficit to win a game.
The latest comeback victory came with first place in the Jayhawk West on the line against archrival Seward County as the No. 22-ranked Blue Dragons defeated the Saints 78-76 in a Jayhawk West thriller.
The Blue Dragons (15-3) maintain sole possession of first place in the Jayhawk West at 14-3. Hutchinson has a 1.5 game lead over Barton and a two-game lead over Seward County with four games remaining in the regular season. Hutchinson plays at Pratt on Wednesday.
Seward County started the game hitting 10 of its first 14 shots and took a game-high 15-point lead when a Sydney Wetlaufer steal and layup for a 26-11 lead with 2:09 remaining in the opening quarter. The Saints led 26-17 after one quarter and 37-26 at halftime.
Lojong Gore and Kalyn Ervin combined for 13 points in the third quarter as Hutchinson outscored Seward County 23-15 in the period and got within 50-49 after a Gore offensive rebound and outback with 29 seconds to play in the third quarter. Wetlaufer's putback with 13 seconds left gave Seward County a 52-49 lead heading to the fourth quarter.
The Blue Dragons tied the game at 56, 58 and 60 in the fourth quarter and grabbed a 63-60 lead when Ishante Suttington snared an offensive rebound off a missed fourth quarter and found Ervin for a wide-open 3-pointer with 7:00 to play in the fourth quarter.
The Saints tied the game at 69 on a Sierra Morrow 3-pointer and then led 71-69 on a Morrow bucket inside the paint with 2:24 to play. The Blue Dragons answered with two Kate Ogle free throws with 2:06 remaining and then took a 73-71 lead on a K.K Adams steal and layup with 1:40 to play. Seward County tied the game at 73 on a Sierra Lynch short floater in the lane with 1:22 to play.
The Blue Dragons grabbed the lead for good on a Tor'e Alford jumper with 52 seconds left. Ervin then made two of the biggest plays of the final second, getting a steal with 37 seconds left and then snitching away an offensive rebound from Hulda Joakim. Suttington was fouled with 5.5 seconds remaining and she hit two free throws for a 77-73 lead.
The game wasn't quite clinched yet. After a Saints time out and advancement to the front court, Morrow hit a 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds to play to cut the Dragon lead to 77-76. Suttington was fouled with 1.7 seconds left and hit the first of two free throws for a two-point lead. The second free throw was missed, but the Saints weren't able to fire a final shot before the buzzer sounded.
Ogle led the Blue Dragons with 18 points with six rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocked shots to lead Hutchinson. Ogle was 6 of 6 from the free-throw line.
Gore had 16 points and nine rebounds. Suttington finished with 12 points and eight rebounds with four assists. Ervin and Adams had nine points each and Alford had eight points.
The Blue Dragons shot 27 of 65 overall (41.5 percent), hitting 5 of 17 from 3-point range and 19 of 25 from the free-throw line. The Dragons had 17 turnovers, only five in the second half and out-rebounded Seward County 43-28.
Morrow, who had 39 against Hutchinson in the first meeting a 41 on Friday against Cloud County, finished with a game-high 22 points to lead the Saints. Lynch had 18 points and eight assists.
Seward County shot 30 of 64 from the field (46.9 percent), hitting 10 of 32 from the 3-point line and 6 of 7 from the free-throw line.
GAME NOTES – The 29 points scored in the fourth quarter by the Blue Dragons tied a season high. … With the regular-season sweep of the Saints the all-time series between Hutchinson and Seward County is tied at 48-48. … Ogle's six free throws are a career high. … Suttington tied a career high with four assists. … There were five lead changes and eight ties in the game.