BLUE DRAGONS DEFEAT MAVERICKS AT ARENA

Nafatoumata Haidara had nine points and a career-best 14 rebounds in No. 10 Hutchinson's 67-48 Jayhawk West victory over Northwest Tech on Monday night at the Sports Arena. (Bre Rogers/Blue Dragon Sports Information)
Nafatoumata Haidara had nine points and a career-best 14 rebounds in No. 10 Hutchinson's 67-48 Jayhawk West victory over Northwest Tech on Monday night at the Sports Arena. (Bre Rogers/Blue Dragon Sports Information)

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

Sophomore Abby Ogle posted her third double-double of the season and Nafatoumata Haidara collected a career high for rebounds as the No. 10 Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team opened up Jayhawk West play with a victory over Northwest Kansas Tech on Monday night at the Sports Arena.

The Blue Dragons moved within nine victories of all-time win No. 1,000 with a 67-48 win over the Mavericks.

Hutchinson improves to 15-2 overall and 7-1 in the Jayhawk West. Northwest Tech falls to 6-10 and 2-6. The Blue Dragons have another quick turnaround and will play at Garden City at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

Ogle scored 17 points and tied a career high with 12 rebounds to pace a Blue Dragon attack that shot 43.6 percent. She scored 15 points in the first half as Hutchinson build a 42-26 lead at halftime. The Dragons shot 53.6 percent in the first half. Ogle was 7 of 10 shooting with a pair of 3-pointers to power the Blue Dragons.

Defensively, the Blue Dragons limited Northwest Tech to 30.2 percent shooting overall (19 of 63) and 5 of 27 from 3-point range. The Mavericks did, however, have an opponent-low 11 turnovers.

Haidara just missed her first career double-double, finishing with nine points and a career-high 14 rebounds. Haidara led a 48-35 Blue Dragon rebounding advantage in the game, including 27-18 in the second half. Brooklyn Betham also had nine rebounds.

Sophomore Makayla Vannett hit 4 of 10 3-pointers and finished with 12 points. Vannett moved into sole possession of fifth place on the Blue Dragon career 3-point list with 152, breaking a tie with Tessa Morrow (2005-07). Lauryn Mapusua also had nine points for Hutchinson.

Hutchinson hit 10 of 27 from 3-point range, but 9 of 19 from the free-throw line. Hutchinson turned the ball over 17 times.

Jada Russell hit 3 of 9 from 3-point range to lead the Mavericks with 13 points. Lauryn Vieira had 11 points and six assists.

Tech was 5 of 27 shooting from 3-point range and 5 of 11 from the free-throw line.

The Blue Dragons got off to a great start scoring 14 of the game's first 16 points. A steal and layup by Vieira cut the Dragon lead to 14-7 with 3:55 to play in the opening period. Ogle scored after grabbing a rebound and scoring in transition for a 19-9 lead with 2:58 to play. The Dragons led 24-9 on a Mapusua putback with 1:10 left, but the Mavericks cut the lead to 24-12 at the end of the first quarter on a Russell trey.

Hutchinson scored the first eight points of the second quarter. Ogle hit a 3-pointer from the left corner and then scored again inside for a 30-12 lead with 6:38 remaining in the quarter. A Vannett 3-pointer upped the lead to 21 at 35-14 with 5:13 remaining. Northwest Tech started to chip away with a 12-3 run over the next 3 minutes, cutting the Dragon lead to 38-26 on a Russell 3-pointer. Ogle made it a 14-point halftime lead when she grabbed another rebound and sprinted past the Mavericks to score with 19 seconds left, giving Hutch a 42-28 halftime lead.

The closest Tech got to Hutchinson in the second half with 17 points midway through the third quarter. The Dragons limited Northwest Tech to six points in the third period to build a 55-34 lead after three periods.

GAME NOTES – This was all-time Hutchinson win No. 991. … The Blue Dragons held Northwest Tech to the second fewest points in series history. … Tech's six points in the third quarter tied an opponent low for third-quarter output this season against Hutchinson. … This was Hutchinson's sixth time to hold an opponent to less than 50 points and 15th time to hold an opponent to less than 40 percent shooting. … Presley Barton tied a career high with two 3-pointers. … This was Makayla Vannett's eight game this season with four or more 3-pointers.