Hutchinson CC Sports Information
Trailing for much of the first quarter in its season-opening game against face-paced Neosho County, the Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team grabbed the lead late in the period and rolled to a 12th-straight season-opening victory from there.
Leading by two points after the first quarter, the No. 11-ranked Blue Dragons outscored the Panthers by 38 over the final three quarters to complete an 87-47 victory on Monday at the Sports Arena.
The Blue Dragons (1-0) will play South Plains on Friday and Connors State on Saturday in the BSN Sports Tip-off Classic at the Sports Arena.
Neosho County had a 12-5 lead with 4:16 to play in the opening quarter after Miku Imada hit the Panthers’ fourth 3-point field goal to that point. The Blue Dragons eventually tied the game on two Nicolly Sanches free throws with 39 seconds to play in the first quarter and took the lead for good on a Sanches putback with 11 seconds to go for a 17-15 lead after one quarter.
Hutchinson then shot 51.2 percent and outscored Neosho County 70-32 over the final three quarters. The Blue Dragon defense kicked in and limited the Panthers to 18.8 percent in quarters 2, 3 and 4, including 1 for 19 shooting in the fourth quarters.
For the game, the Blue Dragons shot 27 of 57 overall (47.4 percent), hitting 7 of 19 from 3-point range and 26 of 38 from the free-throw line. The Blue Dragons out-rebounded Neosho County 54-38.
Defensively, the Blue Dragons held Neosho County to 20.8 percent shooting (15 of 72). The Panthers were 8 of 47 from 3-point range and 9 of 17 from the free-throw line. Neosho had 25 turnovers to Hutchinson’s 22.
Sophomore point guard Whitney Brown led a balanced Hutchinson scoring attack with 16 points. Brown tied a career high with three 3-point goals. She added six assists and three rebounds.
Blue Dragon forwards Kaia Smith and Jaslene Garcia-Howell had 13 points each.
Smith was 6 of 8 shooting with six rebounds. Garcia-Howell was 5 of 7 shooting in her Blue Dragon debut with five rebounds. Both Smith and Garcia-Howell had 3-poing goals.
All 11 Blue Dragon players to suit up scored in the game on Monday.
Abril Ricart finished with nine points. Sanches had seven points. Liva Hermane, Tayla Galucho and Dazlyn McClenon had six points each.
Sophia Mireles finished with a team-high 11 points to lead Neosho County.
GAME NOTES – The Blue Dragons are now 44-9 all-time in season openers. … The Blue Dragons won their 12th-straight game over Neosho County and are 31-2 all-time against the Panthers. … The Blue Dragons outscored Neosho 20-5 in points off turnovers and 35-14 in points off the bench.
