HUTCHINSON, Kan. (BlueDragonSports.com) – Sophomore Mikhail Abdul-Hamid nailed a season-high five 3-point field goals, but the Kansas City Blue Devils combined to sink 12 shots from long range to pull off an upset of the No. 15-ranked Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball team on Tuesday night at the Sports Arena.
The Division II, 22nd-ranked Blue Devils hit 12 of 28 3-pointers, sinking 7 of 15 from distance in a second-half comeback to upend the Blue Dragons 79-75.
The Blue Dragons (3-1) complete a four-game season-opening homestand. Hutchinson will play in the Barton Classic this weekend in Great Bend. The Dragons play the Truman State JV on Friday and NOC-Enid on Saturday. Both games start at 3 p.m.
Abdul-Hamid led the Blue Dragons with a season-high 17 points. He sank 5 of 7 from 3-point range and went 2 of 2 from the free-throw line.
But Kansas City offset that performance with the effort of BJ Stewart, who had a double-double with 32 points and 14 rebounds. Stewart hit 5 of 11 from 3-point range and he had five steals.
The Blue Dragons shot under 50 percent for the first time this season, shooting only 41.1 percent (23 of 56). The Dragons tied a season high with 10 3-pointers in 24 assists. The Dragons were 19 of 25 from the free-throw line. Hutchinson out-rebounded Kansas City 38-34, but was hampered by 18 turnovers.
Jaquez Thornton finished with 17 points for the Blue Dragons. Thornton had five rebounds and three assists. Bobby Cannon had 12 points and a season-high three blocked shots. D.J. Dudley had 10 points, eight rebounds and a career-high eight assists.
Kansas City shot 41.9 percent (26 of 62) and was 15 of 22 from the free-throw line. The Blue Devils had only nine turnovers.
Jeremiah Lewis hit four 3-pointers and finished with 16 points. Israel Randle points and six assists.
The Blue Dragons got off to a fast start, building a 9-3 lead. KCK rallied with an 8-0 run to lead 11-9 after two Stewart free throws. The Blue Dragons hit an 18-14 lead on a Cannon step-back jumper with 11:58 to play.
The Dragons opened a six-point lead with an Abdul-Hamid 3-pointer with 5:03 remaining for a 32-26 lead. The Blue Devils pulled within 35-34 with 3:14 remaining. From that point, the Blue Dragons held the Blue Devils scoreless for the remainder of the first half. The Dragons scored the final five points of the half for a 40-34 lead at halftime.
The Dragons led 42-37 one minute into the second half. The Blue Devils went on an 8-0 run to take a 45-42 lead after a Lewis 3-pointer with 17:38 remaining in the second half. Cannon hit a game-tying 3-pointer to knot the score at 45-all.
Kansas City went up 50-45, but the Blue Dragons battled back to lead 56-55 after two Abdul-Hamid free throws. The Blue Devils kept coming up with big 3-point shot to keep Hutchinson at arm’s length. Stewart hit a 3-pointer with 8:53 left to give Kansas City a 66-59 lead and later the lead grew to a game-high nine with 5:46 remaining.
The Dragons made it a one-possession game four times in the final minutes, but the Blue Devils held on for the victory.
GAME NOTES – The Blue Dragons are now 16-6 all-time against Kansas City. … The Blue Devils won in Hutchinson for the first time since 1934. … The Blue Dragons tied a season high with 10 3-pointers.
