DODGE CITY, Kan. (BlueDragonSports.com) – Blitzed by eight second-half Dodge City 3-pointers, the Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team suffered its first loss of the season and had its program-record 54-game winning streak snapped on Saturday.
No. 3 Dodge City sank an opponent season-high 11 3-pointers to upend the top-ranked Blue Dragons 67-41 at the DC3 Student Events Center.
The Blue Dragons are now 17-1 overall and 11-1 in the KJCCC. Hutchinson starts the second half of conference play on Wednesday with a home game against Barton at 5:30 p.m. at the Sports Arena. Dodge City moved into a first-place tie in the KJCCC at 11-1 and are 16-2 overall.
Hutchinson suffered through a tough offensive second half, especially in the third quarter.
The Blue Dragons were 1 of 11 shooting with six turnovers, while Dodge City was 8 of 16 overall in the third quarter, hitting 5 of 7 3-pointers as the Conquistadors outscored Hutchinson 21-7 in the third stanza.
The Dragons trailed 23-21 at halftime, but were outscored 38-12 over the first 16 minutes, 40 seconds of the second half. Hutchinson finished shooting 22.2 percent (6 of 27) in the final two quarters with 10 turnovers. Dodge City hit 8 of 14 from 3-point range and shot 48.5 percent (16 of 33) in the second half.
Hailey Jackson led Hutchinson with 17 points and seven rebounds. Jackson was 8 of 10 from the free-throw line. Jackson became the 23rd Blue Dragon to surpass the 800-career point mark with 802 points.
Madi Denison had eight points and a season-high 12 rebounds. Noelle Anthon and Brynne Katcher had four points each.
The Blue Dragons shot a season-low 24.1 percent for the game (15 of 58). Hutchinson was 2 of 27 from 3-point range and 11 of 14 from the free-throw line. The Dragons out-rebounded Dodge City 40-34, but turned the ball over 19 times.
Dodge City was led by a double-double from Shorna Preston, who had 17 points and 11 rebounds. Preston was 3 of 9 from 3-point range with six steals, four blocked shots and three assists.
Leyla-J Cameron had 15 points with two 3-pointers and five assists.
Dodge City shot 42.4 percent overall (25 of 59), going 11 of 29 from 3-point range and 6 of 13 from 3-point range. Dodge City had 12 turnovers, only four in the second half.
The Dragons got off to a good start. A Jackson field goal and free throws on the next possession gave Hutchinson a 6-2 lead with 6:39 to play in the first quarter. Dodge City tied the game at 6-all, but the Dragons refused to relinquish the lead on a Denison layup, Katie Duncan 3-pointer and Jackson layup for a 13-11 Hutchinson lead after one quarter.
Kahlen Norris scored to match the Dragons’ largest lead of four points at 17-13 with 5:16 to play in the second quarter. Norris hit a free-throw with 1:18 left for a 21-18 Dragon lead. Dodge City closed the half on a 5-0 run, getting a Preston 3-pointer with 33 seconds left to take a 23-21 halftime lead.
Dodge City extended the lead to seven points two minutes into the third quarter. The Dragons chipped away from the free-throw line as Jackson and Denison both hit sets of free throws to pull the Dragons within 28-25 with 6:20 to play. The Conquistadors started their 3-point barrage on the next possession on a Cameron trey, which sparked a 16-3 Dodge City run over the remainder of the period. Dodge City built a 44-28 lead after three quarters.
Dodge started the fourth quarter on an 11-3 run to lead 55-31 with 5:31 to play. Morgan Ruff hit a 3-pointer to give the Conquistadors a game-high 30-point lead at 67-37. Katcher and Anthon scored on the Dragons’ final two possessions to pull within 26.
GAME NOTES – This is only the fourth time in head coach John Ontjes’ tenure at Hutchinson that the Blue Dragons dropped a game by 20 or more points. … In addition to its 54-game winning streak being stopped, Hutchinson saw its 38 game KJCCC and 20-game road winning streaks snapped. … The Dragons are now 76-31 all-time vs. Dodge City, 30-16 in games at Dodge City. … The Dragons had season lows in points scored, field-goal percentage and assists (9) and tied a season low with 3-pointers. … This was the first time that an opponent had 10 blocked shots against the Dragons since Independence on November 29, 2023.
