HUTCHINSON, Kan. (BlueDragonSports.com) – Bobby Cannon had a career-high 3-point output and Khalil Arnold scored a career high, but the Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball team dropped its second-straight close game on Wednesday night at the Sports Arena.
The Red Ravens had a key 13-4 game-deciding run late in the second half and held on to defeat the Blue Dragons 81-77.
Hutchinson slipped to 6-5 overall and 2-3 in the KJCCC. The Blue Dragons have the first of two league byes on Saturday and play host to Garden City next Wednesday at the Sports Arena. Coffeyville won its fifth in a row and improved to 8-2 and 4-0 in the KJCCC.
The Blue Dragons had a tremendous defensive start, holding the Red Ravens to 22.9 percent shooting and building leads as large as 13 points in the first half. Coffeyville closed within 30-26 by halftime. There were 11 lead changes in the second half. Cannon’s basket with 3:46 remaining in the second half gave the Dragons a 67-66 lead.
But the Blue Dragons went without a field goal and had only four free throws in that key 13-4 Raven run over a span of 3 minutes, 15 seconds. The Ravens shot 56.8 percent in the second half and outscored Hutchinson 55-47 to rally for the win.
Cannon knocked down 5 of 8 3-pointers and 6 of 11 shots overall to finish with a team-high 29 points with six rebounds. Arnold scored in double figures for a third-straight game, scoring a career-best 17 points, hitting 3 of 4 from distance.
Jaquez Thornton had 15 points, six rebounds and six assists. D.J. Dudley finished with 13 points, four rebounds and three assists.
Bo Aldridge had a season-high 10 rebounds for Hutchinson.
The Blue Dragons shot 46.4 percent for the game (26 of 56), hitting 11 of 24 from 3-point range and 14 of 17 from the free-throw line. The Dragons were out-rebounded 39-37 and had 12 turnovers to Coffeyville’s four.
Brian Griffith had a game-high 19 points to lead Coffeyville. He had a double-double adding 10 rebounds. Justin Taylor had 16 points, Abdul Kuta had 13 points and Konstantin Popovic had 10 points.
The Red Ravens closed the game shooting 40.3 percent (29 of 72), hitting 9 of 30 from distance and 14 of 22 at the foul line.
The Blue Dragons jumped out to leads of 7-0 and went on an 11-0 run to build a 21-8 lead after two Thornton free throws with 9:15 left in the first half. The Dragons maintained that margin, building a 12-point lead after a Kobe Smith pull-up jumper for a 28-16 lead with 5:05 to play in the first half.
The Red Ravens closed the half on a 10-2 run, holding the Dragons without a field goal and to only two free throws in the final five minutes of the half. The Dragons led 30-26 at intermission.
Dudley scored with 16:33 remaining in the second half for a 36-32 lead, but the game turned into a back-and-forth battle from that point. Neither team held more than a one-possession lead until Coffeyville’s late run to seize control of the game in the final 5 minutes.
GAME NOTES – Bobby Cannon is the third Blue Dragon to have at least five 3-pointers in a game this season. … This was the sixth game with 10 or more 3-pointers this season. … The Dragons are 6-3 when leading at halftime and 5-2 when out-shooting an opponent.
