Hutchinson CC Sports Information
The Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team avenged a 16-point loss to Independence in November by administering a 31-point win over the Pirates on Monday night at the Sports Arena.
Tor'e Alford posted her second career double-double and defensively the Blue Dragons turned in a stellar performance as second-place Hutchinson rolled by league-leader Independence 80-49.
Hutchinson snapped a three-game losing streak to the Pirates and improved to 15-4 overall, pulling within 1.5 games of the Pirates with a 9-4 league record. The Blue Dragons complete their three-game-in-five-day homestand with at 5:30 tipoff on Wednesday against Cloud County at the Sports Arena.
Alford led the Blue Dragons by tying a career-scoring high with 26 points on 8 of 13 shooting with a pair of 3-pointers and going 8 of 8 from the free-throw line. Alford had 10 points in the first half in helping the Blue Dragons build a 42-22 lead. Alford scored 11 points in the third quarter to help the Dragons extend that lead to 68-41 after three quarters. Alford added five assists and two steals.
Hutchinson overall held Independence (14-3, 10-2 KJCCC) to a season-low offensive output, 30 points under its 79.4-point season scoring average and 20 percent under its 42.2 percent season field-goal percentage. Independence's Maisa Marcal hit two early 3-pointers. The Dragons didn't allow the Pirates to score a field goal for the next 8:50 and only field goal over the next 14:10. By that time, the Blue Dragons led 27-16.
Three other Blue Dragons scored in double figures. Kalyn Ervin hit a season-high three 3-pointers and finished with 16 points with four rebounds. Mya Williams had 13 points and Mele Kailahi scored 10 points with five rebounds and three assists. Kali Howard scored eight points and Natalie Payne finished with six points and five rebounds
The Blue Dragons shot 42.6 percent for the game (26 of 61), hitting 9 of 27 from 3-point range and 19 of 22 from the foul line. The Dragons out-rebounded Independence 42-33.
Marcal led the Pirates with 19 points on 5 of 18 shooting with three 3-pointers. Valentina Ojeda had seven points and six rebounds.
The Pirates were 13 of 57 shooting from the field (22.9 percent), hitting 6 of 29 3-pointers and 17 of 22 from the free-throw line. The Pirates had 20 turnovers.
Marcal's second 3-pointer of the first period gave the Pirates a 6-4 lead with 7:59 remaining in the first quarter. The Pirates had six free throws over the remainder of the first period. A Kailahi 3-pointer with 6:16 to go gave the Dragons a 10-6 lead. The Dragons opened a 15-9 lead after two Alford free throws with 2:30 to play. The Dragons led 19-12 after one quarter as Alford hit a jumper with 11 seconds to play in the period.
Hutchinson scored only one field goal over the first 6:47 and led 27-18 after Indy's Jayda Van Dyke hit a 3-pointer with 3:40 to play in the half. Ervin answered that trey with a 3-pointer, which sparked a 12-0 Dragon run. Payne's inside hoop with 1:42 to play upped the Hutchinson lead to 39-18. The Dragons led 44-22 at halftime.
The Blue Dragons outscored Independence 26-19 in the third quarter and capped the high-scoring stanza with an Alford 3-pointer with 3 seconds to play for a 68-41 advantage.
That lead jumped up to 36 after holding the Pirates scoreless for the first 4:46 of the final quarter. A Howard short jumper gave the Dragons a 77:41 lead with 5:34 to play.
GAME NOTES – The Blue Dragons are 37-13 overall against Independence all-time, including 14-2 at the Sports Arena. … This was the first time since March 6, 2015 that the Blue Dragons reached the 80-point mark against the Pirates. … The 31-point margin of victory is the third largest in series history for Hutchinson. … Alford became the 20th Blue Dragon in team history to score 800 career points. She now has 810 career points. … With two 3-pointers, Alford tied Heather Robben for eighth on the career 3-point list with 137. … Alford also became the eighth Blue Dragon in team history to reach 250 career assists, now with 252.