The No. 18-ranked Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team held Garden City 34 points under its 81-point-per-game season average Wednesday night to win its fifth-straight Jayhawk Conference opener.
Hutchinson’s defense held Garden City to 15 points and 25-percent shooting over the middle two quarters to hand the Broncbusters their first loss of the season in a 64-47 victory at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
The Blue Dragons improved to 6-1 overall and are 1-0 in the KJCCC. Hutchinson travels to No. 14 Butler at 2 p.m. on Saturday in El Dorado.
The Dragons defeated Garden City for the 16th-consecutive time, Hutchinson’s second-longest win streak in series history.
Trailing by as many as five points with 1:37 to play in the first quarter, the Blue Dragons closed the quarter on a 6-0 run to lead 16-10. The Dragons used a 16-2 run in the second quarter and held the Busters to 3 of 11 shooting to lead 35-21 at halftime. The Busters scored only nine points in the third quarter, shooting 3 of 13 in the period. Garden City outscored Hutchinson 9-6 in the third to cut the Dragon lead to 41-30 heading to the fourth quarter.
For the game, the Blue Dragons limited Garden City to 37.5 percent (18 of 48) and forced 28 Buster turnovers.
Sophomore Dylan Alexander posted her first career double-double with a season-high 12 points and career-high-tying 11 rebounds. Alexander was 5 of 6 shooting from the field. She scored eight points in the second half.
Sophomore Katie Duncan also had 12 points. Freshman Kaia Smith scored 11 points and sophomore Delora Precop scored a season-high 10 points. Freshman KaMyra Barber had eight points.
The Blue Dragons shot 46.3 percent overall (25 of 54), hitting 3 of 13 from 3-point range and 11 of 18 from the foul line. The Dragons out-rebounded Garden City 36-28.
Elektra Mjoll came off the bench to score a team-high 15 points, hitting 5 of 9 from 3-point range. Sokhna Ndiaye had 11 points.
Despite shooting 7 of 12 in the opening quarter, the Blue Dragons had to overcome nine turnover in the opening 10 minutes. The Dragons trailed 13-8 with 2:39 to go and 15-10 with 1:37 remaining in the period. Duncan drilled a jumper with 1:23 to go and started a 6-0 run to close the quarter. After forcing a Buster turnover, Alexander scored with 3 seconds left for a 16-15 Hutchinson lead.
Trailing 17-16, the Dragons went on a 7-0 run which was capped by a Barber transition layup for a 23-17 lead with 6:12 to go. Garden City snapped that run and the Dragons scored nine unanswered points. Smith scored after a Garden turnover for a 32-19 lead. Whitney Brown converted a three-point play with 24 seconds to go to give the Blue Dragons a 35-21 lead at halftime.
The third quarter for the Blue Dragons was a tough one, which became the lowest scoring quarter of the season. The Dragons were only 3 of 13 shooting with two scoreless runs of 4 minutes, 14 seconds and 4 minutes, 23 seconds. Despite all of that, the Dragons were outscored only 9-6. Garden City cut the lead to 39-30 with 1:51 left, but Precop’s basketball in the paint with 29 seconds left gave the Dragons a 41-30 lead after three quarters.
Garden City cut the Dragon lead to single digits three times, closing to within eight at 47-39 with 7:33 to go. Leading 51-42, the Blue Dragons closed the game out with a 13-2 run. Smith’s three-point play started the run with 5:47 to go and she capped the run with 29 seconds left for a 64-44 lead.
GAME NOTES – The Blue Dragons are now 83-19 all-time vs. Garden City, including 45-5 at the Sports Arena. … The 47 points allowed are a season low for Garden City and a Hutchinson opponent season low output. … Garden City’s Elektra Mjoll hit an opponent season high five 3-pointers. … The six points scored by Garden City in the second quarter was the third time the Dragons allowed a season-low six points in a period. The Dragons also allowed six points to Otero and Neosho County.
