DODGE CITY, Kan. (BlueDragonSports.com) – Bo Aldridge’s second career double-double sparked the Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball team to a seventh second-half comeback for a victory this season.
Trailing by seven points with 15:31 to play in the second half on Saturday at Dodge City, the Blue Dragons rallied to defeat the Conquistadors 69-64 at the DC3 Student Events Center for their seventh-straight victory.
Hutchinson improved to 13-5 overall and 9-3 in the KJCCC. The Blue Dragons start the second time around the league schedule with a Wednesday battle against No. 13 Barton at 7:30 p.m. at the Sports Arena.
The Blue Dragons trailed 41-34 with 15:31 to play in the second half after Dodge’s Derrick Rivers, who had a game-high 21 points, hit 1 of his 3 3-pointers. Hutchinson immediately turned things around. Khalil Arnold‘s second-straight jumper started a 21-7 run over the next 7 minutes, 33 seconds. Bobby Cannon‘s layup with 7:58 remaining gave the Dragons a 55-45 lead.
Dodge City pulled within one point at 65-64 with 1:07 to play, but clinched the game with Aldridge and D.J. Dudley hitting 5 of 6 free throws in the final 45 seconds to close out the victory.
Aldridge had 12 of his team-high 19 points in the second half and finished with a double-double with 19 points and career-high 13 rebounds. Aldridge was 8 of 16 shooting and finished with a season-high-tying five assists, two steals and two blocks.
Dudley was 6 of 10 shooting and just missed a double-double with 15 points and a career-high-tying nine rebounds.
Isaiah Jackson also neared a double-double, finishing with 12 points and nine rebounds. Mikhail Abdul-Hamid finished with nine points and cannon had six points.
The Blue Dragons shot better than 50 percent for a third-straight game, shooting 51.8 percent (29 of 56), hitting 3 of 11 from 3-point range and 8 of 19 from the foul line. The Dragons out-rebounded Dodge City 46-31, but had to overcome 16 turnovers.
In addition to Rivers’ 21 points, Keshawn Brown had 12 points, Mynor Strong had 11 points and Jamari Gamble had 10 points to lead Dodge City.
The Conquistadors shot 33.9 percent (21 of 62), going 7 of 30 from 3-point range and 15 of 20 from the free-throw line. Dodge City had only nine turnovers.
The first half featured six lead changes and two ties. An Abdul-Hamid 3-pointer with 15:13 to play in the opening have gave the Dragons an 11-9 lead. Dodge went on a small 7-1 run to lead 16-12 after two Rivers free throws with 11:28 to go.
Trailing 20-17, a Jackson layup started 9-2 Hutchinson run. The Dragons built a 26-22 lead after a Dudley jumper with 3:56 to play in the half.
Dodge City tied the game at 26-all, but the Dragons again built a four-point lead after jumpers from Dudley and Aldridge for a 30-26 lead. The Dragons led 30-27 at halftime.
The teams traded baskets to open the second half, but Dodge City then went on a 9-0 run, capped by a Rivers jumper with 16:15 to play for a 38-32 Conquistador lead. Rivers then hit a 3-pointer for a 41-34 lead with 15:31 to go.
The Dragons scored eight unanswered points and too a 42-41 lead after an Aldridge dunk with 12:15 to play. Cannon competed the 21-4 Hutchinson run with a layup for a 55-45 lead with 7:58 remaining.
From that point, the Dragons held off numerous Dodge City runs. Didge City went on a 7-0 run to pull within 55-52 after two Gamble free throws with 6:16 to go. Hutchinson answered with back-to-back baskets from Aldridge and Cannon for a 59-52 lead with 4:58 left.
Dodge City went on a 10-4 run and pulled within 63-62 on a Gamble 3-pointer with 1:07 to play. Aldridge hit a jumper with 45 seconds left, the Aldridge and Dudley each hit two free throws in the final nine seconds to secure the victory.
GAME NOTES – The Blue Dragons earned their first seven-game win streak since a seven-game streak last season. … This was all-time win No. 1,936. … The Blue Dragons have had seven 50-percent shooting games this season. … The Dragons are 5-1 in true road games and 6-1 when shooting better than 50 percent. … Isaiah Jackson surpassed the career 400-point mark, now with 4-3 points.
