By John Mesh
The No. 1-ranked Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team held off a second-half charge by Coffeyville Community College for a 66-53 victory Wednesday night at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
The Blue Dragons improved to 11-0 overall (5-0 in Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference play) and have won 48 consecutive games.
Hutchinson women’s basketball coach John Ontjes improved his career record to 494-96 (286-37 in Jayhawk Conference play).
The Blue Dragons led 18-7 after the first quarter and led at halftime 35-13.
HutchCC led 50-36 at the end of the third period. Coffeyville cut into the Blue Dragons’ lead with a 23-15 run in the quarter. The Red Ravens outscored Hutchinson in the fourth quarter 17-16.
Kahlen Norris led the Blue Dragons with 13 points, followed by Hailey Jackson with 12 and Katie Duncan 12.
Landon Forbes scored 9 points for the Blue Dragons, Jaden Wilson 6, Jada Pleasant 5, Brynne Katcher 4 and Madi Denison 3.
Katcher grabbed 7 rebounds, Jackson 6, Denison 5 and Norris 5. Forbes had 6 assists, Pleasant 5 and Jackson 4. Pleasant had 4 steals and Forbes 3. Denison blocked 2 shots.
Karliey Parker led the Red Ravens with 12 points. Karys Washington scored 11, Aubrey Hishaw 10, Norika Welch 8 and Aspen Clarkson 6.
Hishaw grabbed 10 rebounds and Washington 9. Welch had 5 steals, Parker 4 and Hishaw 3.
The Blue Dragons handed the Red Raven women’s team its first loss of the season. Coffeyville now is 8-1 overall and 3-1 in KJCCC play.
Hutchinson Blue Dragon men fall to Coffeyville
The Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball team lost to perennial Jayhawk Conference power Coffeyville 81-77 Wednesday night at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
The Blue Dragons led at halftime 30-26.
Hutchinson trailed most of the second half. HutchCC’s Khalili Arnold hit a 3-pointer with 19 seconds left in the game to cut Coffeyville’s lead to 79-77, but Coffeyville’s Jeremiah Kemboi hit two free throws to give the Red Ravens the 81-77 final margin.
The Blue Dragons dropped to 6-5 overall and 2-3 in the Jayhawk Conference. Coffeyville improved to 8-2 overall and 4-0 in league play.
Bobby Cannon led the Blue Dragons with 19 points, including five 3-pointers. Arnold scored 17 points, including three 3-pointers. Jaquez Thornton scored 15 points and Dimitri’s “DJ” Dudley 13.
Isaiah Jackson and Kobe Smith each scored 5 points and Katraleus “Bo” Aldridge added 4.
Aldridge grabbed 10 rebounds for the Blue Dragons. Thornton had 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Cannon grabbed 6 rebounds. Jackson and Aldridge each had 2 blocked shots.
The Red Ravens were led by Brian Griffith with 19 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 assists. Justin Taylor had 16 points and 9 assists. Abdul Kuta scored 13 points and Konstantin Popovic 11.
Relja Nagulic scored 9 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. David Ntambwe contributed 6 points and 8 rebounds.
Upcoming schedule for HutchCC women, men
After the Coffeyville game, the Blue Dragon women and men have a bye week on Saturday.
The Blue Dragons host Garden City next Wednesday (Dec. 11, 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.).
The Blue Dragon teams will finish the first semester Dec. 14 at Cloud County (2 p.m. and 4 p.m.).