EL DORADO, Kan. (BlueDragonSports.com) – Freshman Bo Aldridge posted his first career double-double to lead the Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball team to a second-straight victory over an NJCAA Top 10 opponent on Wednesday night.
The Blue Dragons won a season’s-best fourth consecutive game after defeating No. 5 Butler 73-70 at the Power Plant. Hutchison defeated No. 6 Cowley 70-62 on Saturday at the Sports Arena and are now 2-1 against NJCAA Top 10 opponents this season.
Hutchinson improved to 10-5 overall and 6-3 in the KJCCC after the victory. The Blue Dragons travel to Pratt for a 4 p.m. KJCCC matchup on Saturday at the Beaverdome. Butler fell to 12-3 overall and 7-2 in the KJCCC.
Aldridge tied a career high with 22 points and had a career-best 11 rebounds to lead the Blue Dragons on Wednesday. Aldridge also tied career highs with four assists and three steals. Aldridge had 14 points in the first half to help the Blue Dragons build a 35-29 lead at halftime. He then took over in the second half with eight points, including a huge left-handed dunk with 1:09 left in the game that gave the Dragons a three-possession lead at 71-64.
Sophomore D.J. Dudley had 11 points with three assists and two rebounds to lead the Dragons. Jaquez Thornton had 11 points with a pair of 3-point goals. Mikhail Abdul-Hamid finished with nine points, going 2 of 3 from 3-point range. Bobby Cannon and Isaiah Jackson had seven points each.
The Blue Dragons shot 49.0 percent for the game (24 of 49), going 5 of 16 from 3-point range and 20 of 29 from the free-throw line. Hutchinson and Butler were tied in rebounding at 37. The Dragons had to overcome 20 turnovers.
Russell Branch led Butler with 18 points and six rebounds. Devin Kerr had 13 points and Josiah Kirkwood had 10 points.
The Grizzlies were held to 31.2 percent (24 of 77), hitting 7 of 33 from 3-point range and 15 of 17 from the foul line. Butler had only 10 turnovers and had a 17-9 advantage in points off turnovers.
Aldridge scored eight early points to lead the Dragons. Abdul-Hamid’s 3-pointer with 12:51 to play gave the Dragons a 15-8 lead. With Hutchinson leading 16-12, Aldridge’s layup with 8:58 to play gave the Dragons a six-point lead.
Butler took a 19-18 lead after a Branch layup with 5:27 to play, but the Blue Dragons answered with an Abdul-Hamid 3-pointer to give the Dragons a 21-19 lead. Tied at 21, Jackson scored inside for a 23-21 Dragon lead. Thornton’s layup gave the Dragons a 28-23 lead with 2:50 left. Butler pulled within 30-29, but the Dragons. Dudley hit two free throws with 33 seconds left and Thornton added a 3-pointer in the final seconds for a 35-29 Hutchinson lead at halftime.
The Dragons got a tip-in and two Dudley free throws in the first minute of the second half to push their lead to 10 at 39-29. The Dragons upped their lead to a game-high 13 points after Thornton 3-pointer and Jackson dunk for a 45-32 lead with 17:04 to go in the second half.
Butler then scored six in a row, but Dudley scored to stop that run for a 47-38 lead with 15:55 to play.
The Dragons led 50-47, but took a five-point lead on a Kobe Smith tip-in with 8:56 remaining. The Grizzlies pulled within 55-54, but opened a 60-56 lead on an Aldridge three-point play. Branch scored to pull Butler within 64-62. The Dragons opened a 69-62 lead after two Aldridge free throws with 1:24 to go and then he dunked with 1:09 left for a 71-64 lead.
Butler cut the Dragon lead to 71-70. Abdul-Hamid hit two free throws with 7 seconds left and the Dragons got a blocked shot by Cannon to close out the game.
GAME NOTES – Hutchinson and Butler played for the 200th time in series history. The Dragons are now 130-70 all-time, including 51-42 in El Dorado. … This was all-time win No. 1,933. … The Dragons are 3-1 in road games this season. … Bobby Cannon had his fourth game of four or more blocked shots.
