Blue Dragon Sports Information

Three games to play in five days to close out the 2021 regular season - that's the daunting task the No. 21-ranked Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team faces as the Blue Dragons try to repeat as Jayhawk West Champions.

Hutchinson (16-3, 15-3 Jayhawk West) will play host to the Garden City Broncbusters (10-9, 9-9) at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Sports Arena to begin the stretch run.

While a huge road test awaits the Blue Dragons on Monday at Barton, Hutchinson cannot afford to look past the Broncbusters, who played the Dragons to a four-point game (56-52) on March 6 in Garden City. Garden City held a fourth-quarter lead, but Nafatoumata Haidara's double-double of 16 points and 14 rebounds and Ishante Suttington's 15 points powered the Blue Dragons to the victory.

The Blue Dragons lead Seward County by 1.5 games in the Jayhawk West standings entering play on Saturday. Barton is two full games behind. Garden City is in strong position to finish fourth in the league and gain an opening-round Region VI Tournament game.

Hutchinson had a huge second half in a 78-56 victory over Pratt on Wednesday in Pratt. The game was tied 31-31 at halftime, but a late third-quarter surge started a 12-0 Dragon run to take control of the game. The Blue Dragons shot 51.5 percent (the third time this season to do so) and outscored Pratt 47-25 over the final two quarters, shooting better than 71 percent in the fourth quarter.

Garden City has dropped a pair of tight games in a row 57-56 to Butler and 57-49 to Seward County.

The Busters have become one of the better defensive teams in the Jayhawk Conference, allowing 56.3 points per game, which is second-best in the KJCCC. The Busters haven't allowed an opponent to score better than 60 points in the last five games. Opposing teams are shooting 38 percent overall and a league-best 28 percent with only 4.4 makes per game.

Hutch is 9-1 at the Sports Arena this season. Garden City is 3-4 in road games.