By John Mesh
Cold shooting and foul trouble doomed the No. 6-ranked Hutchinson Community College Blue Dragon women’s basketball team in a 64-55 loss to No. 22 Coffeyville Thursday night at Nellis Hall in Coffeyville.
The game was rescheduled from Wednesday because of poor driving conditions in Hutchinson.
The date was changed because members of the Red Raven men’s team have been bitten by the flu bug.
The Coffeyville Red Raven women’s basketball team jumped out to leads of 8-0 and 16-4. Hutchinson trailed 12-9 at the end of the first quarter and made just 3-of-13 field goal attempts.
Coffeyville led by as many as 20 points at 36-16 in the second quarter and trailed at halftime 38-23. The 15-point deficit is the most HutchCC trailed at halftime this season.
Hailey Jackson, the leading scorer in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference, played for just 4 minutes in the first half with two fouls.
The Blue Dragons pulled within 11 points at 42-31 and 47-36 in the third quarter. Coffeyville led 53-38 at the end of the third quarter.
The Blue Dragons went on 12-0 run. HutchCC’s Kathleen Norris hit a 3-pointer to cut the margin to 55-50.
The Red Ravens scored two buckets for a 59-50 lead and maintained the 9-point margin at the end of the game.
Hutchinson’s four-game winning streak ended and Coffeyville now has won eight straight games.
Hutchinson dropped to 21-2 overall (15-2 KJCCC). Coffeyville improved to 18-3 overall (13-3 KJCCC).
Landon Forbes led the Blue Dragons with 14 points. Jackson finished with 14 points and Kahlen Norris 10. Jada Pleasant added 7 points, Katie Duncan 4, Madi Denison 3, Zhane Singer 2 and Carly Dameron 2.
Norris, Jackson and Katcher each had 5 rebounds. Norris had 3 steals.
Norika Welch led the Red Ravens with 19 points, including four 3-pointers. Aubrey Hishaw scored 14 points, Karys Washington 9, Karlie Parker 8, Kailyn Willis 6, Alexis Parker 6 and Hallie Kitchen 2.
Washington and Welch each pulled down 6 rebounds. Kitchen, Parker and Welch each had 3 assists. Washington and Welch each had 3 steals.
The Blue Dragon men’s game against the 10th-ranked Coffeyville Red Ravens originally scheduled for Wednesday will be played at 5:30 p.m. Monday at Nellis Hall.
The Hutchinson men’s and women’s teams have Saturday off and travel to Garden City next Wednesday.
No. 23 HutchCC baseball team opens Friday at home
The No. 23 Hutchinson Community College baseball team opens the season against Hesston College Friday on the newly installed artificial turf-playing surface at Hobart-Detter Field.
The doubleheader games are scheduled for 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Brock Nehls begins his second season as HutchCC baseball coach.
The 2024 Blue Dragons posted a 51-13 record, won the Jayhawk West with a 27-5 record and were the Region VI Tournament runner-up.
The Blue Dragons broke six offensive records, including runs scored (637), total hits (705) and stolen bases (225).
HutchCC is picked to finish third in the Jayhawk West behind Barton and Cloud County.
Blue Dragon softball team alters weekend schedule
The Hutchinson Community College softball team’s doubleheader vs. Iowa Western in Chanute Saturday has been cancelled.
The Blue Dragons will now play at Crowder at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. in Neosho, Mo., on Saturday.
These games replace Hutchinson’s scheduled home games with Crowder next week.
24 Blue Dragon football players from 2024 national championship team sign with 4-year programs
(Courtesy of Hutchinson CC Sports Information)
The 2024 NJCAA national champion Hutchinson Community College football team will send 24 players to four-year programs after National Signing Day on Wednesday.
The 2024 Blue Dragons produced six Power 4 Conference players, 13 other FBS players, two FCS players and three NCAA Division II players.
The total of 24 will likely grow as a handful of 2024 Blue Dragons have yet to make their decision where to attend a four-year program.
Waymond Jordan Jr., the 2024 NJCAA and KJCCC Offensive Player of the Year, chose the University of Southern California as the next stop in his career.
Jordan rushed for an NJCAA-best 1,613 yards on 217 carries with a nation-leading 20 touchdowns this past season.
All-American offensive lineman Bubba Craig chose to play for the Arkansas Razorbacks, marking the third-straight season a Blue Dragon player signed with the Razorbacks.
Three Blue Dragons will play in the Big 12 Conference next season.
All-America linebacker Marshawn Oxley signed with West Virginia, defensive end Chandavian Bradley signed with Oklahoma State and defensive back Kollin Collier signed with TCU.
The sixth Blue Dragon Power 4 selection is defensive back La’Modrick Spencer. He signed with College Playoff qualifier SMU.
Through five seasons as head coach, Drew Dallas has now placed 172 players into four-year programs, an average of 34.4 players per season.
Blue Dragon Football has placed 45 players into Power 5/4 Conference teams, an average of nine players per season.
Blue Dragon Football Class of 2024-25 Four-Year Signees
Power 4 Programs
Chandavian Bradley – Oklahoma State
Kollin Collier – TCU
Bubba Craig, Arkansas
Waymond Jordan Jr. – USC
La’Modrick Spencer – SMU
Marshawn Oxley – West Virginia
Other FCS Programs
Carson Bradley (OL) – Old Dominion
Tre Brown (WR) – Old Dominion
Duke Clayton (DE) – Eastern Michigan
Samari Collier (QB) – Coastal Carolina
Demonte Gaston (DB) – Georgia State
Korbyn Green (DB) – Western Kentucky
Nicholas Hemer (LS) – Ohio
JaKwon McGinney (DL) – Arkansas State
Armando Nieves (OL) – New Mexico State
Ja’Cory Thomas (WR) – Old Dominion
Benson Prosper (WR) – Eastern Michigan
Kedrick Walker (LB) – Georgia State
Mickel Williams Jr. (DE) – UTSA
FCS Programs
Lashavion Brown (DB) – Illinois State
Avian Rice (DB) – Tarleton State
NCAA Division II Programs
Bobby Brooks – Panhandle State
Julius Bolden – Northwest Missouri State
Dwayne Moorehead – Nebraska-Kearney
Oregon Ducks land former Hutchinson Blue Dragon wideout Malik Benson
Former Florida State University and Hutchinson Community College wide receiver Malik Benson will be an Oregon Duck and will play Big Ten Conference football.
Benson, 6-foot, 195 pounds, has committed to the University of Oregon and coach Dan Lanning in the college football transfer portal, reported ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Benson, a Lansing native, played two years at Hutchinson Community College for coach Drew Dallas.
Benson was granted an additional year of eligibility thanks to the NCAA’s recent decision to grant a waiver to former junior college transfers.
Benson’s other top choices were Kansas State (with Avery Johnson returning for his junior season), Tennessee (a program bringing back quarterback Nico Iamaleava) and Kansas (where quarterback Jalon Daniels is returning).
Benson spent one year at Alabama before he played two years at Hutchinson Community College. He was regarded as the No. 1 ranked junior college player regardless of position coming out of Hutchinson in 2022.
In two seasons at HutchCC, Benson caught 102 passes for 2,206 yards and 21 touchdowns (43/1,229/11 in 2021 and 59/977/10 in 2022).
At Alabama and Florida State, Benson compiled 473 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
In addition to playing football at Lansing High School, Benson long jumped 25 feet and ran the 100-meter dash in 10.4 seconds.