GOODLAND, Kan. (BlueDragonSports.com) – First it was D.J. Dudley’s game-tying 3-pointer with 1.5 seconds left in regulation. Then there were Bobby Cannon‘s 2- and 3-pointers to start regulation. Don’t forget Jaquez Thornton‘s and Mikhail Abdul-Hamid‘s 3-pointers that created two-possession leads in overtime.
The Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball team made the big shots down the stretch Saturday to defeat Fort Hays Tech Northwest 94-89 overtime at Max Jones Fieldhouse.
The Blue Dragons snapped a two-game skid and earned their first KJCCC win of the season. Hutchinson is now 5-3 overall and 1-1 in the KJCCC heading into Tuesday’s 7:30 p.m. matchup with Colby at the Sports Arena. Tech is now 1-5 and 0-2 in the league.
The Blue Dragons came out hot and built an early eight-point lead and a 39-31 lead at halftime. After shooting 56.5 percent in the first half, the Dragons cooled off to 40 percent in the second half and trailed 64-58 with 5:37 to play.
The Dragons clawed their way back into the game, closing the half on a 19-13 run, but still trailed by three points with 12.5 seconds to play in regulation. Dudley calmly sank a long 3-pointer from the left side to tie the game and send it to overtime.
The Blue Dragons outscored the Tigers 17-12 in overtime – Hutchinson’s second-straight overtime game and third of the season – to earn the victory.
Cannon had his best game of the season to lead the Blue Dragons with season-highs of 20 points and 13 rebounds to post his first career double-double. He also had a season-high six blocked shots. Cannon was 8 of 14 shooting.
Thornton tied for game-high honors with 24 points on 8 of 11 shooting. Thornton hit a career-high four 3-pointers in six attempts and was 4 of 4 from the free-throw line. He added six assists.
Dudley closed with a season-high 17 points, hitting 7 of 8 from the free-throw line and he had six assists. Bo Aldridge finished with 16 points on 6 of 11 shooting.
The Blue Dragons shot 48.4 percent for the game (31 of 64), going 12 of 26 from the 3-point line and 20 of 26 from the free-throw line. The Dragons were out-rebounded 40-34, but had 23 assists to 14 turnovers and eight blocked shots.
Chase Harris led Tech with 24 points, hitting 3 of 6 from 3-point range. Kalik Sharpe had 15 points, while Idris Williams had 14 points and John Troolin had 12
The Tigers shot 47.0 percent for the game (31 of 66), hitting 9 of 21 from distance and 18 of 24 from the foul line. The Tigers committed 18 turnovers.
The Blue Dragons were hot early with quick 3-pointers from Dudley and Aldridge to open the game with a 10-2 lead 3:04 into the contest. A Thornton trey with 12:00 minutes to play gave the Dragons a 10-point lead and an Aldridge 3-pointer in transition with 11:42 remaining in the half gave the Dragons their largest lead of 13 at 21-8.
Tech then went on a 8-0 run to pull within 21-16, but the Blue Dragons settled down and maintained their lead, taking a 39-31 lead at halftime.
A Thornton putback pushed the Dragon lead back to double figures at 48-37 with 14:26 to go in the second half. Then leading 54-46 with 11:20 to play, the Blue Dragons went without a field goal for 8 minutes, 53 seconds. The Tigers went on an 18-4 run and led 64-58 after a Troolin 3-pointer with 5:37 to go.
The Dragons answered with a 7-0 run and took a 65-64 lead after a short Dudley jumper with 2:49 to go. The lead changed hands five times in the final minutes, but Tech led 77-74 after two Williams free throws with 12.5 second left. The Dragons tied the game at 77 on Dudley’s 3-pointer with 1.5 second to play to force overtime.
Tied at 79-all in overtime, Cannon nailed a trey and Aldridge added a jumper in the paint for an 84-79 lead with 3:31 to go. Harris hit a trey for Tech, but that was countered by Thornton’s 3-pointer with 3:13 left for an 87-82 Hutchinson lead.
The Tigers pulled within 87-86, but Abdul-Hamid splashed a 3-pointer with 1:36 left for a 90-86 lead. Dudley and Aldridge went 4 of 4 from the foul line in the final 14 seconds to secure the victory.
GAME NOTES – The Dragons are 17-1 all-time vs. Tech with 10-straight wins. … The Dragons and Tigers are 1-1 in series history in overtime games. … This was all-time win No. 1,928. … Bobby Cannon is the first Blue Dragon with six blocks in a game since Edwin Daniel against Cloud County on December 6, 2023.
