The Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team couldn’t overcome 18 turnovers Friday, as Three Rivers, Mo., held on to beat the Blue Dragons 50-48 in Casper, Wyo., in the second round of the NJCAA Division 1 Women’s Basketball Championship.
The 11th-seeded Blue Dragons struggled holding on to the ball in the fourth quarter especially, committing six turnovers in the quarter. Sixth-seeded Three Rivers, by comparison, had zero fourth-quarter turnovers.
Hutchinson – the 2024 national champion – had a strong start, and that helped the Blue Dragons lead at the end of each of the first three quarters. After Three Rivers scored the first five points, Hutchinson scored the next 12 and led 14-9 after one.
The Blue Dragons led 26-24 at halftime, and 38-36 after three quarters, as the teams traded the lead.
Three Rivers’ pressure defense picked up in the fourth quarter, and the Raiders ended up with 16 points off turnovers, compared to six for Hutch.
Three Rivers led by as many as four points late, but the Blue Dragons gave themselves a chance for overtime or to win on the final possession. All-American candidate Hailey Jackson’s last second shot missed, however.
Jackson finished her illustrious Blue Dragon career with another double-double, scoring 20 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.
