By STEVE CARPENTER -&nbsp;Hutchinson CC Sports Information Director

All 12 intercollegiate athletics teams at Hutchinson Community College have been adversely affected by the Coronavirus pandemic without a doubt.

Blue Dragon track and field head coach Robert Spies and his men's and women's teams are no different. The Dragons lost the entire 2020 outdoor season and the national championships were to be at Gowans Stadium. Now the 2021 indoor season is 75 percent complete and the Blue Dragons have yet to compete.

"We are just pretty happy to get a meet in before the Region VI meet," said Spies, who is in his second season with the Blue Dragons. "We have a lot of challenges, but we will go and do the best we can."

The Blue Dragons will finally open the 2021 indoor season on Friday at the Cowley Indoor Invitational in Arkansas City. The field events will be contested in the Tigers' indoor complex while the track events will be outside on the track.

This meet comes just two weeks before the Region VI Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Plaster Center in Pittsburg.

The 2021 indoor season has been tough for several different reasons. With capacity restrictions making what few official size indoor venues unavailable, the KJCCC teams have had to become inventive to get performances posted for nationals. The weather has played a role in meets trying to do what Cowley has done with field events inside and running events outside. The Blue Dragons have lost three scheduled meets to those conditions.

"Right now it's a matter of giving them the opportunity to compete," Spies said.

There are several oddities to the 2021 spring season.

Because of the lack of meets all over the country, the NJCAA ruled that because of Covid, that returning athletes could use their indoor marks from last season for qualifying for the 2021 national championships.

Spies won't have his top male sprinter available for the indoor season. Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mtrack/2020-21/bios/scott_jared_jivt">Jared Scott</a>&nbsp;qualified in both the 60 meters and 200 meters last season. The sprinter doesn't have any junior college eligibility left in indoor track because the season was completed before the pandemic put a stop to the spring season. Scott, who owns Hutchinson's second-fastest 100-meter time (10.18 seconds) and fifth-fastest 200 (21.15) in program history, will compete again when the outdoor season opens in mid-March.

MEN'S PREVIEW The Blue Dragons have two returning national qualifiers from 2020 – high jumper&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mtrack/2020-21/bios/thiel_wyatt_1ibg">Wyatt Thiel</a>&nbsp;and sprinter&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mtrack/2020-21/bios/jackson_jovan_74ss">Jovan Jackson</a>.

Thiel cleared an indoor high of 6 feet, 6 3/4 inches at the UCO Alumni Classic. He no-heighted at the national championship last season.

Jackson qualified in the 600 meters and just missed qualifying for the finals at the national championship. Jackson ran a season-best 1:22.21 at the Region VI Championships and posted a Nationals time of 1:38.78.

The Blue Dragons have several middle and long-distance runners from Hutchinson's national fifth place cross country team.

Cross Country All-American&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mtrack/2020-21/bios/flanagan_teagan_t8g2">Teagan Flanagan</a>&nbsp;leads a talented group of middle- and long-distance runners for Spies. Flanagan rans indoor bests in 2020 of 4:34.34 in the mile run, 8:53.01 in the 3,000 meters and 15:28.54 in the 5,000 meters.

Sophomore Jacob McElhanon also returns as a distance runner. He placed 20th in the national cross country championship. His top freshman indoor marks were 2:12.20 in the 800 meters, 4:38.93 in the Mile run and 8:56.43 in the 3,000 meters.

As far as his first-year runners, Spies said to keep an eye on freshman Zach Beile (Hutchinson Trinity) in the high jump and hurdles in the outdoor season. Eric Johnson is Liberty University transfer who competes in the long and triple jump.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mtrack/2020-21/bios/thompson_clyedterrious_jb8p">Clyedterrious Thompson</a>&nbsp;is a freshman long and triple jump athlete who will also run in the sprints.

WOMEN'S PREVIEW The Blue Dragon women have only one returning national qualifier in multi-athlete Rebecca Reymundo.

She finished 12th in the 2020 NJCAA Pentathlon with 2,367 points. She qualified with 2,425 points in finishing sixth in the Region VI Championship. Reymundo will carry her 2,425-point total into this season. If she doesn't surpass it at the 2021 regional championships and that mark is among the Top 16, Reymundo will return to the national championship.

Spies also returns a pair of pole vaulters who scored at Region VI, but didn't make it to nationals. Kiana Brown was the 2020 Region VI runner-up in the event after clearing 9-1 3/4. Violet Martinez tied for fifth at regionals at 8-8.

The Blue Dragon women should get a big boost from distance runner Louise Cocking, who earned first-team All-America status in cross country with a fifth-place showing at the 2020 NJCAA Championships.

Sophomore thrower Taylon Mendendall stands a good chance to qualify in the weight throw. Her freshman-best throw of 41-5 was just off the national qualifying standard.

Sophomore Megan Miller, another member of the Blue Dragon cross country team, returns. Last season Miller posted the ninth-fastest 1,000-meter time in Blue Dragon history of 3:14.42.

Spies calls his women's team "extremely young."

By STEVE CARPENTER -&nbsp;Hutchinson CC Sports Information DirectorAll 12 intercollegiate athletics teams at Hutchinson Community College have been adversely affected by the Coronavirus pandemic without a doubt.Blue Dragon track and field head coach Robert Spies and his men's and women's teams are no different. The Dragons lost the entire 2020 outdoor season and the national championships were to be at Gowans Stadium. Now the 2021 indoor season is 75 percent complete and the Blue Dragons have yet to compete."We are just pretty happy to get a meet in before the Region VI meet," said Spies, who is in his second season with the Blue Dragons. "We have a lot of challenges, but we will go and do the best we can."The Blue Dragons will finally open the 2021 indoor season on Friday at the Cowley Indoor Invitational in Arkansas City. The field events will be contested in the Tigers' indoor complex while the track events will be outside on the track.This meet comes just two weeks before the Region VI Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Plaster Center in Pittsburg.The 2021 indoor season has been tough for several different reasons. With capacity restrictions making what few official size indoor venues unavailable, the KJCCC teams have had to become inventive to get performances posted for nationals. The weather has played a role in meets trying to do what Cowley has done with field events inside and running events outside. The Blue Dragons have lost three scheduled meets to those conditions."Right now it's a matter of giving them the opportunity to compete," Spies said.There are several oddities to the 2021 spring season.Because of the lack of meets all over the country, the NJCAA ruled that because of Covid, that returning athletes could use their indoor marks from last season for qualifying for the 2021 national championships.Spies won't have his top male sprinter available for the indoor season. Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mtrack/2020-21/bios/scott_jared_jivt">Jared Scott</a>&nbsp;qualified in both the 60 meters and 200 meters last season. The sprinter doesn't have any junior college eligibility left in indoor track because the season was completed before the pandemic put a stop to the spring season. Scott, who owns Hutchinson's second-fastest 100-meter time (10.18 seconds) and fifth-fastest 200 (21.15) in program history, will compete again when the outdoor season opens in mid-March.MEN'S PREVIEW The Blue Dragons have two returning national qualifiers from 2020 – high jumper&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mtrack/2020-21/bios/thiel_wyatt_1ibg">Wyatt Thiel</a>&nbsp;and sprinter&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mtrack/2020-21/bios/jackson_jovan_74ss">Jovan Jackson</a>.Thiel cleared an indoor high of 6 feet, 6 3/4 inches at the UCO Alumni Classic. He no-heighted at the national championship last season.Jackson qualified in the 600 meters and just missed qualifying for the finals at the national championship. Jackson ran a season-best 1:22.21 at the Region VI Championships and posted a Nationals time of 1:38.78.The Blue Dragons have several middle and long-distance runners from Hutchinson's national fifth place cross country team.Cross Country All-American&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mtrack/2020-21/bios/flanagan_teagan_t8g2">Teagan Flanagan</a>&nbsp;leads a talented group of middle- and long-distance runners for Spies. Flanagan rans indoor bests in 2020 of 4:34.34 in the mile run, 8:53.01 in the 3,000 meters and 15:28.54 in the 5,000 meters.Sophomore Jacob McElhanon also returns as a distance runner. He placed 20th in the national cross country championship. His top freshman indoor marks were 2:12.20 in the 800 meters, 4:38.93 in the Mile run and 8:56.43 in the 3,000 meters.As far as his first-year runners, Spies said to keep an eye on freshman Zach Beile (Hutchinson Trinity) in the high jump and hurdles in the outdoor season. Eric Johnson is Liberty University transfer who competes in the long and triple jump.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mtrack/2020-21/bios/thompson_clyedterrious_jb8p">Clyedterrious Thompson</a>&nbsp;is a freshman long and triple jump athlete who will also run in the sprints.WOMEN'S PREVIEW The Blue Dragon women have only one returning national qualifier in multi-athlete Rebecca Reymundo.She finished 12th in the 2020 NJCAA Pentathlon with 2,367 points. She qualified with 2,425 points in finishing sixth in the Region VI Championship. Reymundo will carry her 2,425-point total into this season. If she doesn't surpass it at the 2021 regional championships and that mark is among the Top 16, Reymundo will return to the national championship.Spies also returns a pair of pole vaulters who scored at Region VI, but didn't make it to nationals. Kiana Brown was the 2020 Region VI runner-up in the event after clearing 9-1 3/4. Violet Martinez tied for fifth at regionals at 8-8.The Blue Dragon women should get a big boost from distance runner Louise Cocking, who earned first-team All-America status in cross country with a fifth-place showing at the 2020 NJCAA Championships.Sophomore thrower Taylon Mendendall stands a good chance to qualify in the weight throw. Her freshman-best throw of 41-5 was just off the national qualifying standard.Sophomore Megan Miller, another member of the Blue Dragon cross country team, returns. Last season Miller posted the ninth-fastest 1,000-meter time in Blue Dragon history of 3:14.42.Spies calls his women's team "extremely young."

Blue Dragon Track Team finally opens indoor season Friday

By STEVE CARPENTER - Hutchinson CC Sports Information Director

Nine members of the 2021 Hutchinson Community College softball team are still thinking "what-if."

One year ago, one of those special seasons was ulfolding for the Blue Dragons.

There was a perfect game on Opening Day. There were multiple players turning in extraordinary performances on a daily basis. There was Hutchinson's first win over Butler in 19 games. There was the fact that the Blue Dragons were in first place in the Jayhawk East with a 7-1 record on March 14 after a road sweep of Garden City.

And just like that … thanks to the Coronavirus pandemic … the season was over. The NJCAA halted all play in all sports for the remainder of the 2020 season.

"Those kids are fired up and ready to go," said head coach Jaime Rose, who begins her 17th season at Hutchinson with a record of 457-315. She is five wins shy of career win No. 500. "I can say the same thing about our freshmen, too. They all lost their senior seasons of high school ball and our returning kids lost a majority of their season. They are hungry."

For the two third-year players – infielder&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2020-21/bios/schumacher_caitlin_8njz">Caitlin Schumacher</a>&nbsp;and outfielder&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2020-21/bios/way_alexis_61jv">Alexis Way</a>&nbsp;– they look to finish what they started at Hutchinson.

"This would be validation for them," Rose said of Schumacher and Way. "We had an OK year when they were freshman. We definitely on the right path. For us to get in a full season for them and do well would be validation to them for coming back."

Schumacher has started all 66 games over the past two seasons. She is a .271 career hitter and was greatly improved as a defensive shortstop with an 89-point improvement in her fielding average. Way is a .365 career hitter with a .438 on-base percentage and 70 total hits in her two seasons at Hutchinson.

The Blue Dragons return seven position players and three pitchers from last year's 21-7 team.

Rose returns five starters in the field including her entire outfield and middle of the defense. She also has two starting pitchers in the fold and another out of was became a busy bullpen, by design.

"Trying to fit the pieces of this puzzle together will be interesting," Rose said. "We are going to be moving people in and out of the lineup more than we ever have. We have great depth."

Going into Friday's season opener against Fort Scott at Fun Valley, Rose knows only one thing for sure about her starting lineup … catcher&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2020-21/bios/williams_lexi_p2uv">Lexi Williams</a>&nbsp;will lead off.

An All-Conference and All-Region VI performer, Williams hit .489 (44 for 90) with a .540 on-base percentage and .689 slugging percentage out of the leadoff spot. In addition to her speed down the line, Williams also hit three doubles, a staggering six triples and a home run. Her first stolen base of 2021 will break the Hutchinson school record. Williams was 29 of 29 as a freshman in just 24 games.

"She is so tough to defend," Rose said of her leadoff hitter. "You play back and her speed will kill you. You play up and she can hit it over your head. She is a very difficult out."

Returning in the infield is Schumacher at shortstop. She had sharply improved numbers in 2020 from her freshman season. Schumacher hit .300 with seven doubles and 21 RBIs. She also had a .976 fielding percentage. Utility player&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2020-21/bios/bevan_natalie_gq93">Natalie Bevan</a>&nbsp;returns and will likely a lot of time at second base. Bevan hit .241 with 11 RBIs, but was perfect in 57 defensive chances as a freshman.

Way will patrol center field. She hit .339 in 2020, scoring 19 runs with six extra-base hits and five stolen bases. She also had two outfield assists.

Way will be flanked by&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2020-21/bios/dunn_kylee_bdh1">Kylee Dunn</a>&nbsp;in right field and&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2020-21/bios/pennycuff_bailey_j9zj">Bailey Pennycuff</a>&nbsp;in left field.

Dunn flew under the radar last season hitting out of the five hole and hit .473 with 35 hits, nine doubles, two triples and three home runs. She had 29 RBIs.

Pennycuff was the surprise of 2020, making both left field and the No. 9 slot in the batting order her own. Pennycuff hit .444 with 32 hits, including seven doubles and a homer, with 23 RBIs.

"Kylee was huge in the five hole protecting Maryssa Rollin last year," Rose said of Dunn. "People are going to give her a little more attention this year. She has the best eye of any batter I've seen. She does not chase bad pitches.

"Bailey is another leadoff hitter in the nine hole. She continually turned the lineup over and she had some huge RBIs in multiple games."

The Dragons return their lefty-righty combination in the pitcher's circle in southpaw&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2020-21/bios/loney_sadie_l7nj">Sadie Loney</a>&nbsp;and right-hander&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2020-21/bios/galliher_jordan_2rxp">Jordan Galliher</a>.

Loney made 10 starts and 14 appearances last season. She posted a record of 5-3 with a 4.46 ERA. Loney struck out 26 in 48 2-3 innings.

Galliher twirled a perfect game in her Blue Dragon debut against Allen. She had five starts and nine overall appearances and had a record of 3-2 with a 4.70 ERA.

"The staff has that same field it did last year," said Rose of her pitching staff that posted a 4.28 team ERA with three shutouts. "All four of our pitches bring something different to the game so they will all complement each other, which is the same thing we did last year."

Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2020-21/bios/bailey_samarah_si6w">Samarah Bailey</a>&nbsp;worked only 5 1-3 innings out of the bullpen last season. Joining the pitching staff this season is freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2020-21/bios/guajardo_miquela_5xxd">Miquela Guajardo</a>.

With all that returning experience, what is a Blue Dragon freshman supposed to do to get playing time?"

"The freshmen are making it difficult … and that's a good difficult," Rose said." I can honestly say that every freshman we have has at some point stood out and showed us they can get the job done. We just didn't get to see them play against anybody else in the fall, but I'm confident that we can put any of those freshmen in at any time and we will be OK."

By STEVE CARPENTER - Hutchinson CC Sports Information DirectorNine members of the 2021 Hutchinson Community College softball team are still thinking "what-if."About what?One year ago, one of those special seasons was ulfolding for the Blue Dragons.There was a perfect game on Opening Day. There were multiple players turning in extraordinary performances on a daily basis. There was Hutchinson's first win over Butler in 19 games. There was the fact that the Blue Dragons were in first place in the Jayhawk East with a 7-1 record on March 14 after a road sweep of Garden City.And just like that … thanks to the Coronavirus pandemic … the season was over. The NJCAA halted all play in all sports for the remainder of the 2020 season."What If?""Those kids are fired up and ready to go," said head coach Jaime Rose, who begins her 17th season at Hutchinson with a record of 457-315. She is five wins shy of career win No. 500. "I can say the same thing about our freshmen, too. They all lost their senior seasons of high school ball and our returning kids lost a majority of their season. They are hungry."For the two third-year players – infielder&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2020-21/bios/schumacher_caitlin_8njz">Caitlin Schumacher</a>&nbsp;and outfielder&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2020-21/bios/way_alexis_61jv">Alexis Way</a>&nbsp;– they look to finish what they started at Hutchinson."This would be validation for them," Rose said of Schumacher and Way. "We had an OK year when they were freshman. We definitely on the right path. For us to get in a full season for them and do well would be validation to them for coming back."Schumacher has started all 66 games over the past two seasons. She is a .271 career hitter and was greatly improved as a defensive shortstop with an 89-point improvement in her fielding average. Way is a .365 career hitter with a .438 on-base percentage and 70 total hits in her two seasons at Hutchinson.The Blue Dragons return seven position players and three pitchers from last year's 21-7 team.Rose returns five starters in the field including her entire outfield and middle of the defense. She also has two starting pitchers in the fold and another out of was became a busy bullpen, by design."Trying to fit the pieces of this puzzle together will be interesting," Rose said. "We are going to be moving people in and out of the lineup more than we ever have. We have great depth."Going into Friday's season opener against Fort Scott at Fun Valley, Rose knows only one thing for sure about her starting lineup … catcher&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2020-21/bios/williams_lexi_p2uv">Lexi Williams</a>&nbsp;will lead off.An All-Conference and All-Region VI performer, Williams hit .489 (44 for 90) with a .540 on-base percentage and .689 slugging percentage out of the leadoff spot. In addition to her speed down the line, Williams also hit three doubles, a staggering six triples and a home run. Her first stolen base of 2021 will break the Hutchinson school record. Williams was 29 of 29 as a freshman in just 24 games."She is so tough to defend," Rose said of her leadoff hitter. "You play back and her speed will kill you. You play up and she can hit it over your head. She is a very difficult out."Returning in the infield is Schumacher at shortstop. She had sharply improved numbers in 2020 from her freshman season. Schumacher hit .300 with seven doubles and 21 RBIs. She also had a .976 fielding percentage. Utility player&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2020-21/bios/bevan_natalie_gq93">Natalie Bevan</a>&nbsp;returns and will likely a lot of time at second base. Bevan hit .241 with 11 RBIs, but was perfect in 57 defensive chances as a freshman.Way will patrol center field. She hit .339 in 2020, scoring 19 runs with six extra-base hits and five stolen bases. She also had two outfield assists.Way will be flanked by&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2020-21/bios/dunn_kylee_bdh1">Kylee Dunn</a>&nbsp;in right field and&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2020-21/bios/pennycuff_bailey_j9zj">Bailey Pennycuff</a>&nbsp;in left field.Dunn flew under the radar last season hitting out of the five hole and hit .473 with 35 hits, nine doubles, two triples and three home runs. She had 29 RBIs.Pennycuff was the surprise of 2020, making both left field and the No. 9 slot in the batting order her own. Pennycuff hit .444 with 32 hits, including seven doubles and a homer, with 23 RBIs."Kylee was huge in the five hole protecting Maryssa Rollin last year," Rose said of Dunn. "People are going to give her a little more attention this year. She has the best eye of any batter I've seen. She does not chase bad pitches."Bailey is another leadoff hitter in the nine hole. She continually turned the lineup over and she had some huge RBIs in multiple games."The Dragons return their lefty-righty combination in the pitcher's circle in southpaw&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2020-21/bios/loney_sadie_l7nj">Sadie Loney</a>&nbsp;and right-hander&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2020-21/bios/galliher_jordan_2rxp">Jordan Galliher</a>.Loney made 10 starts and 14 appearances last season. She posted a record of 5-3 with a 4.46 ERA. Loney struck out 26 in 48 2-3 innings.Galliher twirled a perfect game in her Blue Dragon debut against Allen. She had five starts and nine overall appearances and had a record of 3-2 with a 4.70 ERA."The staff has that same field it did last year," said Rose of her pitching staff that posted a 4.28 team ERA with three shutouts. "All four of our pitches bring something different to the game so they will all complement each other, which is the same thing we did last year."Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2020-21/bios/bailey_samarah_si6w">Samarah Bailey</a>&nbsp;worked only 5 1-3 innings out of the bullpen last season. Joining the pitching staff this season is freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2020-21/bios/guajardo_miquela_5xxd">Miquela Guajardo</a>.With all that returning experience, what is a Blue Dragon freshman supposed to do to get playing time?""The freshmen are making it difficult … and that's a good difficult," Rose said." I can honestly say that every freshman we have has at some point stood out and showed us they can get the job done. We just didn't get to see them play against anybody else in the fall, but I'm confident that we can put any of those freshmen in at any time and we will be OK."

Blue Dragon Sophomore's look to validate what started in 2020

By STEVE CARPENTER - Hutchinson CC Sports Information

INDEPENDENCE – The Hutchinson Community College volleyball team overcame a third-set stumble, dominating Independence in sets 1, 2 and 4 to even its Jayhawk Conference record at 2-2 on Thursday night.

The Blue Dragons started a five-match-in-three-day stretch with a 25-8, 25-17, 20-25, 25-12 Jayhawk West victory over Independence at the ICC Fieldhouse.

Hutchinson improves to 4-3 overall and is now 2-2 in conference play. The Blue Dragons head directly to West Plains, Missouri for four matches this weekend in the Grizzly Invitational. The Blue Dragons play Trinity Valley at 10 a.m. and West Plains at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Hutchinson plays Jefferson College at 12:30 and New Mexico Military at 3 p.m. on Saturday at the West Plains Civic Center.

Freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2020-21/bios/briggs_shadee_xm04">Shadee Briggs</a>&nbsp;led a balanced offensive attack for the Blue Dragons with 12 kills and seven digs. Six different Blue Dragons had at least five kills against the Pirates.

Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2020-21/bios/thorne_jenna_xncq">Jenna Thorne</a>&nbsp;posted her fourth double-double of the season with 10 kills and 10 digs. Freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2020-21/bios/head_kristina_5dlc">Kristina Head</a>&nbsp;had all six of her kills in the third and fourth sets. Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2020-21/bios/lettries_myracle_x6su">Myracle Lettries</a>&nbsp;had a huge fourth se to finish sixth six kills. Freshmen&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2020-21/bios/murrell_shelby_tlgr">Shelby Murrell</a>&nbsp;and Sequoia Fail had five kills each.

The Blue Dragons out-hit Independence 53-30 in kills and .268-.047 in attack percentage.

For the first time this season Hutchinson ran a 6-2 offense. Sophomore setter&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2020-21/bios/price_chloe_rbgs">Chloe Price</a>&nbsp;finished with 22 assists and freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2020-21/bios/nelson_kersti_b4a9">Kersti Nelson</a>&nbsp;had 12 assists.

The Blue Dragons out-blocked Independence 7-2. Fail had a solo and two block assists. The Dragons had eight service aces to Indy's two. Freshman libero&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2020-21/bios/reeder_shelby_zpe9">Shelby Reeder</a>&nbsp;had three aces and a match-high 18 digs.

Amelia Mausby had eight kills and Jordan Carter had seven kills to lead the Pirates.

The Blue Dragons were a perfect 8 for 8 in sideout situated in a dominant first set. Hutch had 15 kills to Indy's three. The Pirates had seven attack errors. Leading 6-3, Hutch reeled off eight consecutive points to take a 14-3 after a&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2020-21/bios/lane_kenna_obyd">Kenna Lane</a>&nbsp;kill. The lead reached 18-5 on an&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2020-21/bios/dyer_emily_g5gm">Emily Dyer</a>&nbsp;ace and was 14-7 after a Thorne kill.

Back-to-back back-row kills from Thorne helped the Blue Dragons open up the second set by capping a 5-0 to lead 11-5. Both Thorne and Briggs had five kills each in the set. A Briggs' kill and setter dump by Price gave the Dragons an 18-9 lead. Thorne finished off the set with another back-row kill.

The third set saw Hutchinson's overall passing game drop in efficiency as the Pirates racked up all four of their service aces in the third set. The Dragons trailed 9-6 and got the set tied at 15 on Murrell's third kills in a stretched of five rallies. The Pirates then scored three in a row and finished off Hutch with a 9-4 run.

Lettries started her big third set with a pair of kills in an initial 6-2 run. Leading 7-4, head got a roll shot to fall to start a 6-0 run and a 13-4 lead. Leading 17-10, Briggs had an ace and Lettries had two kills and a block assists to help the Dragons build a 23-11 lead. The match ended on Independence's 24th attack error.

By STEVE CARPENTER - Hutchinson CC Sports InformationINDEPENDENCE – The Hutchinson Community College volleyball team overcame a third-set stumble, dominating Independence in sets 1, 2 and 4 to even its Jayhawk Conference record at 2-2 on Thursday night.The Blue Dragons started a five-match-in-three-day stretch with a 25-8, 25-17, 20-25, 25-12 Jayhawk West victory over Independence at the ICC Fieldhouse.Hutchinson improves to 4-3 overall and is now 2-2 in conference play. The Blue Dragons head directly to West Plains, Missouri for four matches this weekend in the Grizzly Invitational. The Blue Dragons play Trinity Valley at 10 a.m. and West Plains at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Hutchinson plays Jefferson College at 12:30 and New Mexico Military at 3 p.m. on Saturday at the West Plains Civic Center.Freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2020-21/bios/briggs_shadee_xm04">Shadee Briggs</a>&nbsp;led a balanced offensive attack for the Blue Dragons with 12 kills and seven digs. Six different Blue Dragons had at least five kills against the Pirates.Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2020-21/bios/thorne_jenna_xncq">Jenna Thorne</a>&nbsp;posted her fourth double-double of the season with 10 kills and 10 digs. Freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2020-21/bios/head_kristina_5dlc">Kristina Head</a>&nbsp;had all six of her kills in the third and fourth sets. Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2020-21/bios/lettries_myracle_x6su">Myracle Lettries</a>&nbsp;had a huge fourth se to finish sixth six kills. Freshmen&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2020-21/bios/murrell_shelby_tlgr">Shelby Murrell</a>&nbsp;and Sequoia Fail had five kills each.The Blue Dragons out-hit Independence 53-30 in kills and .268-.047 in attack percentage.For the first time this season Hutchinson ran a 6-2 offense. Sophomore setter&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2020-21/bios/price_chloe_rbgs">Chloe Price</a>&nbsp;finished with 22 assists and freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2020-21/bios/nelson_kersti_b4a9">Kersti Nelson</a>&nbsp;had 12 assists.The Blue Dragons out-blocked Independence 7-2. Fail had a solo and two block assists. The Dragons had eight service aces to Indy's two. Freshman libero&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2020-21/bios/reeder_shelby_zpe9">Shelby Reeder</a>&nbsp;had three aces and a match-high 18 digs.Amelia Mausby had eight kills and Jordan Carter had seven kills to lead the Pirates.The Blue Dragons were a perfect 8 for 8 in sideout situated in a dominant first set. Hutch had 15 kills to Indy's three. The Pirates had seven attack errors. Leading 6-3, Hutch reeled off eight consecutive points to take a 14-3 after a&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2020-21/bios/lane_kenna_obyd">Kenna Lane</a>&nbsp;kill. The lead reached 18-5 on an&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2020-21/bios/dyer_emily_g5gm">Emily Dyer</a>&nbsp;ace and was 14-7 after a Thorne kill.Back-to-back back-row kills from Thorne helped the Blue Dragons open up the second set by capping a 5-0 to lead 11-5. Both Thorne and Briggs had five kills each in the set. A Briggs' kill and setter dump by Price gave the Dragons an 18-9 lead. Thorne finished off the set with another back-row kill.The third set saw Hutchinson's overall passing game drop in efficiency as the Pirates racked up all four of their service aces in the third set. The Dragons trailed 9-6 and got the set tied at 15 on Murrell's third kills in a stretched of five rallies. The Pirates then scored three in a row and finished off Hutch with a 9-4 run.Lettries started her big third set with a pair of kills in an initial 6-2 run. Leading 7-4, head got a roll shot to fall to start a 6-0 run and a 13-4 lead. Leading 17-10, Briggs had an ace and Lettries had two kills and a block assists to help the Dragons build a 23-11 lead. The match ended on Independence's 24th attack error.

Blue Dragons earn four-set win at Indy

Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:

		Buffalo	at	N-Y Islanders	7 p.m.	(Postponed)

		New Jersey	at	Pittsburgh	7 p.m.	(Postponed)

		Minnesota	at	Colorado	9 p.m.	(Postponed)

		Loyola Marymount	at	(1)Gonzaga	9 p.m.	(Postponed)

AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Utah	112	Atlanta	91	Final	Golden State	147	Dallas	116	Final	Portland	121	Philadelphia	105	Final	Houston	115	Memphis	103	Final	L.A. Lakers	114	Denver	93	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		Buffalo	at	N-Y Islanders	7 p.m.	(Postponed)		New Jersey	at	Pittsburgh	7 p.m.	(Postponed)		Minnesota	at	Colorado	9 p.m.	(Postponed)Final	Columbus	4	Dallas	3	Final	Toronto	7	Vancouver	3	Final	N-Y Rangers	4	Washington	2	Final	Ottawa	3	Montreal	2	Final OT	Nashville	6	Florida	5	Final	Winnipeg	4	Calgary	1	Final	Arizona	4	St. Louis	3	Final	Chicago	6	Carolina	4	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL		Loyola Marymount	at	(1)Gonzaga	9 p.m.	(Postponed)Final	(1)Gonzaga	76	Pacific	58	Final	(7)Ohio St.	89	(8)Iowa	85	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		Chicago	at	Orlando	7 p.m.			New Orleans	at	Indiana	7 p.m.			Milwaukee	at	Cleveland	7:30 p.m.			Toronto	at	Brooklyn	7:30 p.m.			Minnesota	at	Oklahoma City	8 p.m.			Utah	at	Charlotte	8 p.m.			Washington	at	Miami	8 p.m.			Detroit	at	Phoenix	9 p.m.			Boston	at	L.A. Clippers	10 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		Boston	at	Philadelphia	7 p.m.			Detroit	at	Tampa Bay	7 p.m.			Nashville	at	Florida	7 p.m.			Los Angeles	at	Vegas	10 p.m.			San Jose	at	Anaheim	10 p.m.	___

Sports Scores from Thursday

REPUBLIC, Mo.—Republic High School has hired Ryan Cornelsen as its new head football coach. Cornelsen comes to Republic from Gardner, Kansas, about 30 miles southwest of Kansas City, where he had coached since 2018, compiling a 23-6 record and winning a Kansas regional championship. He previously led programs at La Crosse, Hays, and Hutchinson, Kansas, and he led Hutchinson to a state runner-up finish in 2014. His overall record in 18 seasons is 139-45.

Ryan Cornelsen will take over the Tigers after spending nearly 20 years in Kansas.

Activities Director Trevyor Fisher said 51 coaches from 14 states applied for the job, but beyond wins and losses, Cornelsen stood out for his ability to enlist others in his plans for a program.

REPUBLIC, Mo.—Republic High School has hired Ryan Cornelsen as its new head football coach. Cornelsen comes to Republic from Gardner, Kansas, about 30 miles southwest of Kansas City, where he had coached since 2018, compiling a 23-6 record and winning a Kansas regional championship. He previously led programs at La Crosse, Hays, and Hutchinson, Kansas, and he led Hutchinson to a state runner-up finish in 2014. His overall record in 18 seasons is 139-45.Ryan Cornelsen will take over the Tigers after spending nearly 20 years in Kansas.Activities Director Trevyor Fisher said 51 coaches from 14 states applied for the job, but beyond wins and losses, Cornelsen stood out for his ability to enlist others in his plans for a program.

Former Salthawk Football Coach hired by Republic High School in Missouri as next head coach

HAVEN, Kan. — The Haven school board fell in line with the wishes of the Central Kansas League and passed the restrictions the league has placed on fans during sporting events.&nbsp;

KSHSAA recently announced it was increasing the number of fans per participant that could attend winter sporting events from two to four.&nbsp;

However, the CKL has passed its own policy that allows four fans per participant at home games, but just two for road contests.

The school board allowed four fans per participant for all teams during the girls tournament this past weekend, then moved to the CKL guidelines for the Tuesday games and will follow it until the league says otherwise.

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the HutchPost mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily HutchPost email news update

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585345243110.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HAVEN, Kan. — The Haven school board fell in line with the wishes of the Central Kansas League and passed the restrictions the league has placed on fans during sporting events.&nbsp;KSHSAA recently announced it was increasing the number of fans per participant that could attend winter sporting events from two to four.&nbsp;However, the CKL has passed its own policy that allows four fans per participant at home games, but just two for road contests.The school board allowed four fans per participant for all teams during the girls tournament this past weekend, then moved to the CKL guidelines for the Tuesday games and will follow it until the league says otherwise.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the HutchPost mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily HutchPost email news update

USD 312 adopts league policy on fan attendance

AUDIO: Eagle Radio Sports for Thursday

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

UNDATED (AP) — Leonard Fournette was cut by Jacksonville before the season. Le'Veon Bell was released by the New York Jets midway through. Now both are in the Super Bowl while their former teams combined for three wins this season. Fournette rushed for just 367 yards and six touchdowns during the regular season, but has 211 yards and two TDs in three postseason games. Bell is also a complementary piece for the Chiefs while backing up rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire and splitting carries with Darrel Williams. Neither Bell nor Fournette has regrets and are happy to be one win away from being a Super Bowl champion.&nbsp;

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Jahvon Blair scored 22 points to lead four Georgetown players in double figures, and the Hoyas used their best shooting in weeks to build a big lead and beat No. 15 Creighton 86-79. Georgetown won its second straight after a three-week layoff because of a COVID-19 outbreak. The 13-point-underdog Hoyas won for the first time in five road games. Blair made five 3-pointers, the biggest coming with 1:34 left when he banked one in from the wing as the shot clock was about to expire. Denzel Mahoney led the Bluejays with 22 points.

UNDATED (AP) — Maryland football coach Mike Locksley put together another strong recruiting class. The Terrapins signed four four-star prospects in December and completed their class with five-star linebacker Terrence Lewis of Opa Locka, Florida. Lewis is the No. 20 player in the country in the 247Sports rankings. The top eight recruits play defense. That's an area where Locksley is looking for rapid improvement. Big Ten Network analyst Gerry DiNardo said this is the class Locksley needs to boost his defense.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Dru Smith scored a season-high 26 points, Xavier Pinson added 14 and No. 18 Missouri withstood a second-half charge to beat Kentucky 75-70. Smith also had seven rebounds and five assists to go along with 6-for-11 shooting. The senior also went 12 of 14 from the free throw line, knocking down numerous key foul shots late to help the Tigers hold on. Down 40-27 at halftime, Kentucky went on a 15-3 run to start the second half and cut Missouri's lead to one. But the Wildcats never got the lead, hunt by a scoring drought of more than three minutes.&nbsp;

UNDATED (AP) — Playing a season through a pandemic did not take the NFL's attention off other health issues, specifically concussions with the league finding those dropped about 5% in 2020. NFL Executive Vice President of Communications, Public Affairs and Policy Jeff Miller said Wednesday that 2020 is the third consecutive year when the NFL has had a reduction in concussions or about 25% down from previous years. Miller calls that progress not success as the NFL continues working to reduce concussions. League officials gave an update on efforts to reach this game, including that masks usage helped the NFL have almost no flu cases.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs would be the first to tell you that the final score is all that matters. But the defending champions also would be the first to tell you the final score doesn't always tell the whole story. That much is evident in gazing at the results of this season. The Chiefs won seven straight games by one possession, two clear of the previous NFL record, including one against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — their Super Bowl opponent Sunday.&nbsp;

UNDATED (AP) — It's unlikely Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady will have their same receiving corps next season. Kansas City and Tampa Bay have several starters, including some notable pass catchers, scheduled to become free agents next month. With the NFL salary cap going down for the first time since 2011 teams will have difficult decisions to make in the coming weeks. So the Super Bowl between the Chiefs and Buccaneers will serve as a farewell for several players with their current team. Will Shaq Barrett and Chris Godwin be back in Tampa? What about Sammy Watkins and Demarcus Robinson in Kansas City?

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — David Beatty had a career-high 22 points as La Salle topped Saint Louis 82-75. Javonte Perkins led the Billikens with 13 points.

76ers handle Hornets for 4th straight win

UNDATED (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers now enjoy a 3-game lead in the NBA's Atlantic Division and improved their record to an Eastern Conference-leading 16-6 while continuing to dominate the Charlotte Hornets.

Joel Embiid (joh-EHL' ehm-BEED') had 34 points and 11 rebounds in the Sixers' 14th straight win over the Hornets, 118-111. Tobias Harris scored 26 points and Ben Simmons added 15 points and nine assists for the 76ers, who stretched their overall winning streak to four games.

Gordon Hayward and LaMelo Ball each had 22 points for the Hornets, who had their three-game win streak snapped.

Charlotte shot 22.7% from field in the first quarter and fell behind 30-13.

— Paul George made a season-high eight 3-pointers and scored 36 points as the Clippers whipped the Cavaliers, 121-99 to end up 4-2 on its road trip. Kawhi (kah-WY') Leonard added 24 and the Clippers made 20 3-pointers to avoid losing two straight for the first time this season.

— Bradley Beal furnished 32 points and the Wizards rallied from a 13-point, second-half deficit to beat the freefalling Heat 103-100. Deni Avdija added 13 for Washington, which pulled off this comeback just three nights after digging its way out of an 18-point hole to beat the Nets.

— Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON'-poh) had 21 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists before sitting out the fourth quarter of the Bucks, 130-110 romp over the Pacers. The reigning two-time MVP shot 7 of 8 from the floor and 7 of 8 from the line for the Bucks, who also received 20 points from Bryn Forbes and 18 from Bobby Portis.

— The Kings pulled out a 116-111 win over the Celtics behind De'Aaron Fox's 26 points and 11 assists. Buddy Hield made two free throws with six-tenths of a second remaining and finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds for Sacramento.

— Kenrich Williams scored 19 points and the Thunder bounced back from a 30-point loss to Houston two days earlier and beat the Rockets 104-87. Darius Bazley had 18 points and a career-high 12 rebounds and Houston scored a season-low for points after setting a season high on Monday.

— DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points and the Spurs rallied from a 16-point deficit to beat the Timberwolves, 111-108. Jakob Poeltl added 19 points and Dejounte Murray added 15 with 11 rebounds for San Antonio, which outscored Minnesota, 32-18 in the final period.

— Zion Williamson punctuated a 28-point performance with a soaring, one-handed alley-oop jam during a decisive fourth-quarter surge that carried the Pelicans past the Suns, 123-101. Brandon Ingram scored 23 and Lonzo Ball added 18 points for New Orleans, which led by as many as 28 in the final period. 

— The Mavericks' six-game losing streak is over after Luka Doncic (DAHN'-chihch) scored 27 points and dished out 14 assists in a 122-116 decision over the Hawks. Kristaps Porzingis (pohr-ZIHN'-gihs) added 24 points and 11 rebounds for the Mavericks, including a crucial tip-in of a miss by Doncic with 32 seconds remaining.

— The Knicks held off the Bulls, 107-103 as Julius Randle dropped in 27 points and tied a career high by hitting five 3-pointers. Elfrid Payton added 20 points and eight rebounds as New York won for only the second time in its last seven games.

UNDATED (AP) — It was a tough night to be a top-5 men's basketball team.

Posh Alexander scored 16 points and St. John's held third-ranked Villanova to 32 percent shooting in a 70-59 upset of the Wildcats. Julian Champagnie contributed all 14 of his points in the second half of the Red Storm's fifth win in a row.

Villanova committed 17 turnovers in ending a nine-game winning streak. The Wildcats fell behind, 58-41 with about 6:45 left and were held 12 points below its previous season low for its first loss since Nov. 28 to Virginia Tech in overtime.

Jayden Gardner had 21 points and 15 rebounds to help East Carolina shock fifth-ranked Houston 82-73, the Pirates' first win against a ranked opponent in nearly two decades.

Tremont Robinson-White added 17 points for East Carolina, which defied season-long offensive struggles against one of the nation's top defensive teams. East Carolina shot 47% overall, made 11 of 24 3-pointers and led for the last 12-plus minutes.

DeJon Jarreau matched his career high with 25 points to lead the Cougars, but top scorer Quentin Grimes provided just seven points on 2-for-10 shooting.

Checking out Wednesday's other top-25 action:

— Jaden Shackelford scored 19 points and No. 10 Alabama moved to 10-0 in the SEC with a 78-60 win against LSU. Juwan Gary with a season-high 12 points for the Crimson Tide, who opened the second half on an 11-2 run to take a 15-point lead.

— Virginia was a 64-57 winner against North Carolina State as Sam Hauser and Trey Murphy III each furnished 18 points for the 14th-ranked Cavaliers. Jay Huff added 12 points to help the Cavs bounce back after their 15-game ACC winning streak ended Saturday against Virginia Tech.

— Jahvon Blair nailed six 3-pointers and provided 21 points to lead four Georgetown players in double figures in an 86-79 victory at Creighton. The Hoyas hit 50% from the field and ended a five-game road losing streak.

— Xavier Johnson poured in a career-high 32 points and Pittsburgh beat No. 16 Virginia Tech, 83-72 to end a three-game skid. Panthers leading scorer Justin Champagnie had 13 rebounds and 10 points, his eighth double-double.

— Dru Smith delivered a season-high 26 points on 6 of 11 shooting, grabbed seven rebounds and had five assists as 18th-ranked Missouri held off Kentucky, 75-70. Xavier Pinson had 14 points for the Tigers, who saw a 40-27 lead cut to one before dropping the Wildcats to 5-11.

— AJ Lawson scored 22 points and Seventh Woods added 12 for South Carolina in a 72-66 victory against No. 22 Florida. Keyshawn Bryant added eight points for the Gamecocks, including six in a 13-1 run over the final 6:37. 

UNDATED (AP) — The Minnesota Twins are bringing back 40-year-old designated hitter Nelson Cruz on a one-year, $13 million contract, according to a person with knowledge of the negotiations.

Cruz last season batted .303 with 16 home runs, 33 RBIs and a .992 OPS in 53 games during the pandemic-shortened schedule. He has led the team in homers in each of his two years with the Twins while ranking second and fourth, respectively, in the AL in OPS. The six-time All-Star won Silver Slugger awards in 2019 and 2020, when the Twins won the AL Central both seasons.

No player in the major leagues has more home runs over the last seven seasons than Cruz's 260. 

— The Orioles have agreed to sign veteran right-hander Félix Hernández to a minor league contract. The 34-year-old Hernández won an AL Cy Young Award, two ERA titles and made six All-Star teams over 15 seasons with Seattle before becoming a free agent last offseason. In his last big league action, Hernández went 1-8 with a 6.40 ERA in 2019. 

— The Indians signed durable reliever Bryan Shaw to a minor league contract and invited him to big league spring training in an effort to shore up the bullpen. The 33-year-old Shaw spent five seasons with the club, compiling a 3.11 ERA and leading the American League in appearances three times with Cleveland.

— The Red Sox and right-hander Garrett Richards have finalized a one-year, $10 million contract. Richards has an $8.5 million salary this year, and the deal includes a $10 million option for 2022 with a $1.5 million buyout. After Tommy John surgery in 2018, he missed most of 2019, then went 2-2 with a 4.03 ERA last season.

— Catcher Alex Avila and the Nationals have finalized a $1.5 million, one-year contract. He was a free agent after playing in 2020 for the Minnesota Twins, batting .184 in 49 at-bats during the coronavirus-shortened season. He has played 12 years in the majors for five clubs and has a .235 career batting average with a .348 on-base percentage, 104 homers and 388 RBIs. 

— The Diamondbacks have agreed to terms on a one-year, $3.5 million deal with veteran relief pitcher Joakim Soria, according to a person with knowledge of the negotiations. The two-time All-Star will be pitching for his eighth MLB team. The 36-year-old right-hander spent the past two years with Oakland and finished with a 2.82 ERA in 2020.

— Catcher Josh Phegley is retiring after eight major league seasons, a week shy of his 33rd birthday. Phegley played in 11 games for the Chicago Cubs last season and went 1 for 16 at the plate with one homer and two RBIs. 

— Outfielder Anthony Santander and the Orioles have argued the second salary arbitration case of the year. Santander asked for a raise from $572,500 to almost $2.5 million, and the Orioles argued for $2.1 million. 

— The Padres have promoted general manager A.J. Preller to president of baseball operations and extended his contract through the 2026 season. Preller has rebuilt the Padres into a playoff team. They ended a 13-year postseason drought in 2020, beating the Cardinals in a wild card series before losing to the rival Dodgers in the NL Division Series. 

Officials: no Super Bowl threat amid rise of white supremacy

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Law enforcement officials say there is no specific threat of an attack connected to the Super Bowl and related events despite concerns about the rise of white supremacist extremism. 

The FBI has made several arrests in the Tampa area of people who allegedly took part in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. But the chief of the Tampa FBI office said no links have been found indicating something similar might occur surrounding Sunday's game.

UNDATED (AP) — David Pastrnak has quickly made his presence felt in three games since returning from an injury.

Pastrnak followed his two-goal performance in Monday's win at Washington by recording a hat trick to lead the Bruins' comeback in a 4-3 overtime win at Philadelphia. He also set up Patrice Bergeron (pah-TREES' BEHR'-zhuh-rahn) for the game-winner 31 seconds into OT.

Bergeron had two assists for the Bruins, who came back from a 3-1, third-period deficit for the third straight game.

Boston has won six of its last seven games and is 3-0 versus Philadelphia this season.

— Alex Killorn (kih-LOHRN') had a goal and an assist in the Lightning's third win in a row, 5-1 against Detroit. Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh, Anthony Cirelli and Brayden Point also scored for the Bolts, who are 5-0 in Tampa this season. 

COVID case at Australian Open hotel cancels play at tuneups

UNDATED (AP) — The same day the NBA announced zero positive results among 482 players tested since Jan. 17, several NHL teams had players added to that league's COVID-19 list.

Five Minnesota players were added, making it six for the Wild. Four more New Jersey players appeared on the list to get to 17. Buffalo has two more players on it and is up to four.

The Devils had games postponed through Saturday and the Sabres through Monday.

In other virus-related sports developments: 

— The family of Florida forward Keyontae Johnson says his collapse during a game nearly two months ago was not related to a positive COVID-19 test. The family says local and national experts reviewed relevant imaging and testing related to Johnson's case and reached a "unanimous conclusion." Johnson crumbled to the court on Dec. 12 at Florida State and spent 10 nights in hospitals.

— The Louisville men's basketball game at Syracuse scheduled for last night was postponed. The ACC said the postponement was due to a positive COVID-19 test, quarantining and contact tracing within the Cardinals' program. It's the second postponement in three games for Louisville, which is due to visit No. 14 Virginia on Saturday. 

— The Southeastern Conference postponed Vanderbilt's men's basketball game last night at Texas A&amp;M, the second game between the teams postponed this season. The SEC says this postponement is because of a combination of positive tests, contact tracing and quarantining of people inside Texas A&amp;M's program. 

— The Southeastern Conference has announced the postponement of a pair of Tennessee women's basketball games. Both games were Top 25 matchups against 24th-ranked Mississippi State on Thursday and No. 7 Texas A&amp;M on Sunday. The league cited a combination of a positive test, contact tracing and subsequent quarantining of individuals within the Lady Vols' program. 

— All competition at six Australian Open tune-up events scheduled for Thursday was called off after a worker at one of the tournaments' Melbourne quarantine hotels tested positive for COVID-19. Players preparing for the year's first Grand Slam tournament must isolate at their hotels until they test negative for the illness caused by the coronavirus. Australian Open organizers didn't immediately have details of how many players would have to isolate with the tournament set to begin on Monday.

— The National Women's Hockey League has suspended the remainder of its season because of additional positive virus test results. Two of the league's six teams had already withdrawn from the tournament, with one citing several COVID-19 cases. 

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Hurricanes say goaltender Petr Mrazek (muh-RA'-zehk) is recovering from surgery on his right thumb, four days after getting injured in a game against Dallas.

The Hurricanes say a timetable for his return will be determined, though coach Rod Brind'Amour said it could be a "long-term kind of injury." 

The 28-year-old Mrazek leads all NHL goaltenders with a 0.99 goals-against average as well as a .955 save percentage. 

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>UNDATED (AP) — Leonard Fournette was cut by Jacksonville before the season. Le'Veon Bell was released by the New York Jets midway through. Now both are in the Super Bowl while their former teams combined for three wins this season. Fournette rushed for just 367 yards and six touchdowns during the regular season, but has 211 yards and two TDs in three postseason games. Bell is also a complementary piece for the Chiefs while backing up rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire and splitting carries with Darrel Williams. Neither Bell nor Fournette has regrets and are happy to be one win away from being a Super Bowl champion.&nbsp;OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Jahvon Blair scored 22 points to lead four Georgetown players in double figures, and the Hoyas used their best shooting in weeks to build a big lead and beat No. 15 Creighton 86-79. Georgetown won its second straight after a three-week layoff because of a COVID-19 outbreak. The 13-point-underdog Hoyas won for the first time in five road games. Blair made five 3-pointers, the biggest coming with 1:34 left when he banked one in from the wing as the shot clock was about to expire. Denzel Mahoney led the Bluejays with 22 points.UNDATED (AP) — Maryland football coach Mike Locksley put together another strong recruiting class. The Terrapins signed four four-star prospects in December and completed their class with five-star linebacker Terrence Lewis of Opa Locka, Florida. Lewis is the No. 20 player in the country in the 247Sports rankings. The top eight recruits play defense. That's an area where Locksley is looking for rapid improvement. Big Ten Network analyst Gerry DiNardo said this is the class Locksley needs to boost his defense.COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Dru Smith scored a season-high 26 points, Xavier Pinson added 14 and No. 18 Missouri withstood a second-half charge to beat Kentucky 75-70. Smith also had seven rebounds and five assists to go along with 6-for-11 shooting. The senior also went 12 of 14 from the free throw line, knocking down numerous key foul shots late to help the Tigers hold on. Down 40-27 at halftime, Kentucky went on a 15-3 run to start the second half and cut Missouri's lead to one. But the Wildcats never got the lead, hunt by a scoring drought of more than three minutes.&nbsp;UNDATED (AP) — Playing a season through a pandemic did not take the NFL's attention off other health issues, specifically concussions with the league finding those dropped about 5% in 2020. NFL Executive Vice President of Communications, Public Affairs and Policy Jeff Miller said Wednesday that 2020 is the third consecutive year when the NFL has had a reduction in concussions or about 25% down from previous years. Miller calls that progress not success as the NFL continues working to reduce concussions. League officials gave an update on efforts to reach this game, including that masks usage helped the NFL have almost no flu cases.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs would be the first to tell you that the final score is all that matters. But the defending champions also would be the first to tell you the final score doesn't always tell the whole story. That much is evident in gazing at the results of this season. The Chiefs won seven straight games by one possession, two clear of the previous NFL record, including one against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — their Super Bowl opponent Sunday.&nbsp;UNDATED (AP) — It's unlikely Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady will have their same receiving corps next season. Kansas City and Tampa Bay have several starters, including some notable pass catchers, scheduled to become free agents next month. With the NFL salary cap going down for the first time since 2011 teams will have difficult decisions to make in the coming weeks. So the Super Bowl between the Chiefs and Buccaneers will serve as a farewell for several players with their current team. Will Shaq Barrett and Chris Godwin be back in Tampa? What about Sammy Watkins and Demarcus Robinson in Kansas City?PHILADELPHIA (AP) — David Beatty had a career-high 22 points as La Salle topped Saint Louis 82-75. Javonte Perkins led the Billikens with 13 points.<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>NBA-SCHEDULE76ers handle Hornets for 4th straight winUNDATED (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers now enjoy a 3-game lead in the NBA's Atlantic Division and improved their record to an Eastern Conference-leading 16-6 while continuing to dominate the Charlotte Hornets.Joel Embiid (joh-EHL' ehm-BEED') had 34 points and 11 rebounds in the Sixers' 14th straight win over the Hornets, 118-111. Tobias Harris scored 26 points and Ben Simmons added 15 points and nine assists for the 76ers, who stretched their overall winning streak to four games.Gordon Hayward and LaMelo Ball each had 22 points for the Hornets, who had their three-game win streak snapped.Charlotte shot 22.7% from field in the first quarter and fell behind 30-13.In Wednesday's other NBA action:— Paul George made a season-high eight 3-pointers and scored 36 points as the Clippers whipped the Cavaliers, 121-99 to end up 4-2 on its road trip. Kawhi (kah-WY') Leonard added 24 and the Clippers made 20 3-pointers to avoid losing two straight for the first time this season.— Bradley Beal furnished 32 points and the Wizards rallied from a 13-point, second-half deficit to beat the freefalling Heat 103-100. Deni Avdija added 13 for Washington, which pulled off this comeback just three nights after digging its way out of an 18-point hole to beat the Nets.— Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON'-poh) had 21 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists before sitting out the fourth quarter of the Bucks, 130-110 romp over the Pacers. The reigning two-time MVP shot 7 of 8 from the floor and 7 of 8 from the line for the Bucks, who also received 20 points from Bryn Forbes and 18 from Bobby Portis.— The Kings pulled out a 116-111 win over the Celtics behind De'Aaron Fox's 26 points and 11 assists. Buddy Hield made two free throws with six-tenths of a second remaining and finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds for Sacramento.— Kenrich Williams scored 19 points and the Thunder bounced back from a 30-point loss to Houston two days earlier and beat the Rockets 104-87. Darius Bazley had 18 points and a career-high 12 rebounds and Houston scored a season-low for points after setting a season high on Monday.— DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points and the Spurs rallied from a 16-point deficit to beat the Timberwolves, 111-108. Jakob Poeltl added 19 points and Dejounte Murray added 15 with 11 rebounds for San Antonio, which outscored Minnesota, 32-18 in the final period.— Zion Williamson punctuated a 28-point performance with a soaring, one-handed alley-oop jam during a decisive fourth-quarter surge that carried the Pelicans past the Suns, 123-101. Brandon Ingram scored 23 and Lonzo Ball added 18 points for New Orleans, which led by as many as 28 in the final period. — The Mavericks' six-game losing streak is over after Luka Doncic (DAHN'-chihch) scored 27 points and dished out 14 assists in a 122-116 decision over the Hawks. Kristaps Porzingis (pohr-ZIHN'-gihs) added 24 points and 11 rebounds for the Mavericks, including a crucial tip-in of a miss by Doncic with 32 seconds remaining.— The Knicks held off the Bulls, 107-103 as Julius Randle dropped in 27 points and tied a career high by hitting five 3-pointers. Elfrid Payton added 20 points and eight rebounds as New York won for only the second time in its last seven games.T25 MEN'S BASKETBALL-SCHEDULEEast Carolina surprises No. 5 HoustonUNDATED (AP) — It was a tough night to be a top-5 men's basketball team.Posh Alexander scored 16 points and St. John's held third-ranked Villanova to 32 percent shooting in a 70-59 upset of the Wildcats. Julian Champagnie contributed all 14 of his points in the second half of the Red Storm's fifth win in a row.Villanova committed 17 turnovers in ending a nine-game winning streak. The Wildcats fell behind, 58-41 with about 6:45 left and were held 12 points below its previous season low for its first loss since Nov. 28 to Virginia Tech in overtime.Jayden Gardner had 21 points and 15 rebounds to help East Carolina shock fifth-ranked Houston 82-73, the Pirates' first win against a ranked opponent in nearly two decades.Tremont Robinson-White added 17 points for East Carolina, which defied season-long offensive struggles against one of the nation's top defensive teams. East Carolina shot 47% overall, made 11 of 24 3-pointers and led for the last 12-plus minutes.DeJon Jarreau matched his career high with 25 points to lead the Cougars, but top scorer Quentin Grimes provided just seven points on 2-for-10 shooting.Checking out Wednesday's other top-25 action:— Jaden Shackelford scored 19 points and No. 10 Alabama moved to 10-0 in the SEC with a 78-60 win against LSU. Juwan Gary with a season-high 12 points for the Crimson Tide, who opened the second half on an 11-2 run to take a 15-point lead.— Virginia was a 64-57 winner against North Carolina State as Sam Hauser and Trey Murphy III each furnished 18 points for the 14th-ranked Cavaliers. Jay Huff added 12 points to help the Cavs bounce back after their 15-game ACC winning streak ended Saturday against Virginia Tech.— Jahvon Blair nailed six 3-pointers and provided 21 points to lead four Georgetown players in double figures in an 86-79 victory at Creighton. The Hoyas hit 50% from the field and ended a five-game road losing streak.— Xavier Johnson poured in a career-high 32 points and Pittsburgh beat No. 16 Virginia Tech, 83-72 to end a three-game skid. Panthers leading scorer Justin Champagnie had 13 rebounds and 10 points, his eighth double-double.— Dru Smith delivered a season-high 26 points on 6 of 11 shooting, grabbed seven rebounds and had five assists as 18th-ranked Missouri held off Kentucky, 75-70. Xavier Pinson had 14 points for the Tigers, who saw a 40-27 lead cut to one before dropping the Wildcats to 5-11.— AJ Lawson scored 22 points and Seventh Woods added 12 for South Carolina in a 72-66 victory against No. 22 Florida. Keyshawn Bryant added eight points for the Gamecocks, including six in a 13-1 run over the final 6:37. MLB-NEWSTwins, Cruz agreeUNDATED (AP) — The Minnesota Twins are bringing back 40-year-old designated hitter Nelson Cruz on a one-year, $13 million contract, according to a person with knowledge of the negotiations.Cruz last season batted .303 with 16 home runs, 33 RBIs and a .992 OPS in 53 games during the pandemic-shortened schedule. He has led the team in homers in each of his two years with the Twins while ranking second and fourth, respectively, in the AL in OPS. The six-time All-Star won Silver Slugger awards in 2019 and 2020, when the Twins won the AL Central both seasons.No player in the major leagues has more home runs over the last seven seasons than Cruz's 260. In other MLB news:— The Orioles have agreed to sign veteran right-hander Félix Hernández to a minor league contract. The 34-year-old Hernández won an AL Cy Young Award, two ERA titles and made six All-Star teams over 15 seasons with Seattle before becoming a free agent last offseason. In his last big league action, Hernández went 1-8 with a 6.40 ERA in 2019. — The Indians signed durable reliever Bryan Shaw to a minor league contract and invited him to big league spring training in an effort to shore up the bullpen. The 33-year-old Shaw spent five seasons with the club, compiling a 3.11 ERA and leading the American League in appearances three times with Cleveland.— The Red Sox and right-hander Garrett Richards have finalized a one-year, $10 million contract. Richards has an $8.5 million salary this year, and the deal includes a $10 million option for 2022 with a $1.5 million buyout. After Tommy John surgery in 2018, he missed most of 2019, then went 2-2 with a 4.03 ERA last season.— Catcher Alex Avila and the Nationals have finalized a $1.5 million, one-year contract. He was a free agent after playing in 2020 for the Minnesota Twins, batting .184 in 49 at-bats during the coronavirus-shortened season. He has played 12 years in the majors for five clubs and has a .235 career batting average with a .348 on-base percentage, 104 homers and 388 RBIs. — The Diamondbacks have agreed to terms on a one-year, $3.5 million deal with veteran relief pitcher Joakim Soria, according to a person with knowledge of the negotiations. The two-time All-Star will be pitching for his eighth MLB team. The 36-year-old right-hander spent the past two years with Oakland and finished with a 2.82 ERA in 2020.— Catcher Josh Phegley is retiring after eight major league seasons, a week shy of his 33rd birthday. Phegley played in 11 games for the Chicago Cubs last season and went 1 for 16 at the plate with one homer and two RBIs. — Outfielder Anthony Santander and the Orioles have argued the second salary arbitration case of the year. Santander asked for a raise from $572,500 to almost $2.5 million, and the Orioles argued for $2.1 million. — The Padres have promoted general manager A.J. Preller to president of baseball operations and extended his contract through the 2026 season. Preller has rebuilt the Padres into a playoff team. They ended a 13-year postseason drought in 2020, beating the Cardinals in a wild card series before losing to the rival Dodgers in the NL Division Series. NFL-SUPER BOWL-SECURITYOfficials: no Super Bowl threat amid rise of white supremacyTAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Law enforcement officials say there is no specific threat of an attack connected to the Super Bowl and related events despite concerns about the rise of white supremacist extremism. The FBI has made several arrests in the Tampa area of people who allegedly took part in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. But the chief of the Tampa FBI office said no links have been found indicating something similar might occur surrounding Sunday's game.NHL-SCHEDULEPastrnak nets hat trick vs. FlyersUNDATED (AP) — David Pastrnak has quickly made his presence felt in three games since returning from an injury.Pastrnak followed his two-goal performance in Monday's win at Washington by recording a hat trick to lead the Bruins' comeback in a 4-3 overtime win at Philadelphia. He also set up Patrice Bergeron (pah-TREES' BEHR'-zhuh-rahn) for the game-winner 31 seconds into OT.Bergeron had two assists for the Bruins, who came back from a 3-1, third-period deficit for the third straight game.Boston has won six of its last seven games and is 3-0 versus Philadelphia this season.Elsewhere on NHL ice:— Alex Killorn (kih-LOHRN') had a goal and an assist in the Lightning's third win in a row, 5-1 against Detroit. Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh, Anthony Cirelli and Brayden Point also scored for the Bolts, who are 5-0 in Tampa this season. VIRUS OUTBREAK-SPORTSCOVID case at Australian Open hotel cancels play at tuneupsUNDATED (AP) — The same day the NBA announced zero positive results among 482 players tested since Jan. 17, several NHL teams had players added to that league's COVID-19 list.Five Minnesota players were added, making it six for the Wild. Four more New Jersey players appeared on the list to get to 17. Buffalo has two more players on it and is up to four.The Devils had games postponed through Saturday and the Sabres through Monday.In other virus-related sports developments: — The family of Florida forward Keyontae Johnson says his collapse during a game nearly two months ago was not related to a positive COVID-19 test. The family says local and national experts reviewed relevant imaging and testing related to Johnson's case and reached a "unanimous conclusion." Johnson crumbled to the court on Dec. 12 at Florida State and spent 10 nights in hospitals.— The Louisville men's basketball game at Syracuse scheduled for last night was postponed. The ACC said the postponement was due to a positive COVID-19 test, quarantining and contact tracing within the Cardinals' program. It's the second postponement in three games for Louisville, which is due to visit No. 14 Virginia on Saturday. — The Southeastern Conference postponed Vanderbilt's men's basketball game last night at Texas A&amp;M, the second game between the teams postponed this season. The SEC says this postponement is because of a combination of positive tests, contact tracing and quarantining of people inside Texas A&amp;M's program. — The Southeastern Conference has announced the postponement of a pair of Tennessee women's basketball games. Both games were Top 25 matchups against 24th-ranked Mississippi State on Thursday and No. 7 Texas A&amp;M on Sunday. The league cited a combination of a positive test, contact tracing and subsequent quarantining of individuals within the Lady Vols' program. — All competition at six Australian Open tune-up events scheduled for Thursday was called off after a worker at one of the tournaments' Melbourne quarantine hotels tested positive for COVID-19. Players preparing for the year's first Grand Slam tournament must isolate at their hotels until they test negative for the illness caused by the coronavirus. Australian Open organizers didn't immediately have details of how many players would have to isolate with the tournament set to begin on Monday.— The National Women's Hockey League has suspended the remainder of its season because of additional positive virus test results. Two of the league's six teams had already withdrawn from the tournament, with one citing several COVID-19 cases. NHL-HURRICANES-MRAZEKCanes netminder has surgeryRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Hurricanes say goaltender Petr Mrazek (muh-RA'-zehk) is recovering from surgery on his right thumb, four days after getting injured in a game against Dallas.The Hurricanes say a timetable for his return will be determined, though coach Rod Brind'Amour said it could be a "long-term kind of injury." The 28-year-old Mrazek leads all NHL goaltenders with a 0.99 goals-against average as well as a .955 save percentage.

Sports Headlines for Thursday

		Vegas	at	San Jose	10:30 p.m.	(Postponed)

		(4)Michigan	at	Northwestern	9 p.m.	(Postponed)

Final	Pittsburgh	83	(16)Virginia Tech	72	

AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Milwaukee	130	Indiana	110	Final	Philadelphia	118	Charlotte	111	Final	Dallas	122	Atlanta	116	Final	L.A. Clippers	121	Cleveland	99	Final	New York	107	Chicago	103	Final	Oklahoma City	104	Houston	87	Final	Washington	103	Miami	100	Final	San Antonio	111	Minnesota	108	Final	New Orleans	123	Phoenix	101	Final	Sacramento	116	Boston	111	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		Vegas	at	San Jose	10:30 p.m.	(Postponed)Final	Tampa Bay	5	Detroit	1	Final OT	Boston	4	Philadelphia	3	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL		(4)Michigan	at	Northwestern	9 p.m.	(Postponed)Final	St. John's	70	(3)Villanova	59	Final	East Carolina	82	(5)Houston	73	Final	(10)Alabama	78	LSU	60	Final	(14)Virginia	64	NC State	57	Final	Georgetown	86	(15)Creighton	79	Final	Pittsburgh	83	(16)Virginia Tech	72	Final	(18)Missouri	75	Kentucky	70	Final	South Carolina	72	(22)Florida	66	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		Golden State	at	Dallas	7:30 p.m.			Utah	at	Atlanta	7:30 p.m.			Portland	at	Philadelphia	8 p.m.			Houston	at	Memphis	9 p.m.			Denver	at	L.A. Lakers	10 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		Buffalo	at	N-Y Islanders	7 p.m.	(Postponed)		Dallas	at	Columbus	7 p.m.			Nashville	at	Florida	7 p.m.			New Jersey	at	Pittsburgh	7 p.m.	(Postponed)		Ottawa	at	Montreal	7 p.m.			Vancouver	at	Toronto	7 p.m.			Washington	at	N-Y Rangers	7 p.m.			Arizona	at	St. Louis	8 p.m.			Calgary	at	Winnipeg	8 p.m.			Carolina	at	Chicago	8 p.m.			Minnesota	at	Colorado	9 p.m.	(Postponed)___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL		Loyola Marymount	at	(1)Gonzaga	9 p.m.	(Postponed)		(1)Gonzaga	at	Pacific	9 p.m.			(7)Ohio St.	at	(8)Iowa	7 p.m.	___

Sports Scores from Wednesday

EL DORADO – At the site of the biggest comeback in Hutchinson Community College men's basketball history in 2018, the Blue Dragons had the tables turned on them Wednesday night.

The Blue Dragons let an 18-point first-half lead slip away as Butler's Keyon Thomas nailed a 3-pointer from the right corner with 11.5 seconds remaining to hand Hutchinson a 66-65 loss at the Power Plant.

The Blue Dragons slip to 2-2 overall and 1-2 in the Jayhawk West. Hutchinson plays host to Cloud County on Saturday at the Sports Arena. Butler earns its first Jayhawk Conference win of the season and improves to 3-1 overall and 1-1 in the Jayhawk East.

Powered by a 15-0 run and holding the Grizzlies scoreless for 6 minutes, 39 seconds in the first half, the Blue Dragons built a 36-18 lead with 2:49 to play in the opening half. The Dragons shot 48.4 percent in the opening 20 minutes, holding Butler to 27.8 percent from the floor in leading 41-27 lead at halftime.

Momentum swung toward the Grizzlies right out of the second-half gate as Butler scored on its first three possessions. The Dragons were able to keep the Grizzlies at arm's length and led 65-55 with 3:06 to play after a&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2020-21/bios/kuath_majok_xrls">Majok Kuath</a>&nbsp;follow-up dunk. That turned out to be the final Dragon points of the game.

Still leading 65-58 with 1:54 to play, the Grizzlies got two Noah Thomasson free throws and a Shae Mitchell 3-pointer to make it a point possession game with 1:20 to play.

The Dragons missed their final six shots and had two turnovers in the final minutes, which allowed Butler to complete the comeback with Thomas's 3-pointer with 11.5 seconds left on a Grizzly inbound play.

Kuath had a season-high 20 points and a season-high-tying nine rebounds to lead the Blue Dragons. Kuath hit 8 of 11 shot attempts. He also had a career-high four blocked shots.

<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2020-21/bios/taylor_donovan_m0h7">Donovan Taylor</a>&nbsp;had a season-high 12 points and&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2020-21/bios/mayers_matt_jfk4">Matt Mayers</a>&nbsp;finished with 11 points. Bryant Selebanque posted his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

The Blue Dragons dominated the boards, doubling up the Grizzlies, 46-23.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2020-21/bios/robinson_chris_q1cl">Chris Robinson</a>&nbsp;had a game- and career-high 12 rebounds.

The Dragons finished shooting 42.9 percent (27 of 62), going just 2 for 19 from 3-point range and 9 of 16 from the foul line. The Dragons had 12 of their 18 turnovers in the second half.

Shawn Hopkins was one of four Blue Dragons to score in double figures with a team-high 16 points. Thomasson had 12 points, while Thomas and DeeJuan Pruitt finished with 11 points each.

Butler shot 36.9 percent (24 of 65), going 8 of 21 from the 3-point line and 10 of 10 from the free-throw line. Butler had just six turnovers.

GAME NOTES&nbsp;– The Blue Dragons are 125-67 against Butler. … There were three ties and six lead changes. … This was&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2020-21/bios/kuath_majok_xrls">Majok Kuath</a>'s fourth career game of 20 or more points. … The 66 points scored by Butler are a Blue Dragon opponent season low.&nbsp; <a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2020-21/boxscores/20210203_9dij.xml">FULL GAME STATS</a>

By STEVE CARPENTER - Hutchinson CC Sports InformationEL DORADO – At the site of the biggest comeback in Hutchinson Community College men's basketball history in 2018, the Blue Dragons had the tables turned on them Wednesday night.The Blue Dragons let an 18-point first-half lead slip away as Butler's Keyon Thomas nailed a 3-pointer from the right corner with 11.5 seconds remaining to hand Hutchinson a 66-65 loss at the Power Plant.The Blue Dragons slip to 2-2 overall and 1-2 in the Jayhawk West. Hutchinson plays host to Cloud County on Saturday at the Sports Arena. Butler earns its first Jayhawk Conference win of the season and improves to 3-1 overall and 1-1 in the Jayhawk East.Powered by a 15-0 run and holding the Grizzlies scoreless for 6 minutes, 39 seconds in the first half, the Blue Dragons built a 36-18 lead with 2:49 to play in the opening half. The Dragons shot 48.4 percent in the opening 20 minutes, holding Butler to 27.8 percent from the floor in leading 41-27 lead at halftime.Momentum swung toward the Grizzlies right out of the second-half gate as Butler scored on its first three possessions. The Dragons were able to keep the Grizzlies at arm's length and led 65-55 with 3:06 to play after a&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2020-21/bios/kuath_majok_xrls">Majok Kuath</a>&nbsp;follow-up dunk. That turned out to be the final Dragon points of the game.Still leading 65-58 with 1:54 to play, the Grizzlies got two Noah Thomasson free throws and a Shae Mitchell 3-pointer to make it a point possession game with 1:20 to play.The Dragons missed their final six shots and had two turnovers in the final minutes, which allowed Butler to complete the comeback with Thomas's 3-pointer with 11.5 seconds left on a Grizzly inbound play.Kuath had a season-high 20 points and a season-high-tying nine rebounds to lead the Blue Dragons. Kuath hit 8 of 11 shot attempts. He also had a career-high four blocked shots.<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2020-21/bios/taylor_donovan_m0h7">Donovan Taylor</a>&nbsp;had a season-high 12 points and&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2020-21/bios/mayers_matt_jfk4">Matt Mayers</a>&nbsp;finished with 11 points. Bryant Selebanque posted his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.The Blue Dragons dominated the boards, doubling up the Grizzlies, 46-23.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2020-21/bios/robinson_chris_q1cl">Chris Robinson</a>&nbsp;had a game- and career-high 12 rebounds.The Dragons finished shooting 42.9 percent (27 of 62), going just 2 for 19 from 3-point range and 9 of 16 from the foul line. The Dragons had 12 of their 18 turnovers in the second half.Shawn Hopkins was one of four Blue Dragons to score in double figures with a team-high 16 points. Thomasson had 12 points, while Thomas and DeeJuan Pruitt finished with 11 points each.Butler shot 36.9 percent (24 of 65), going 8 of 21 from the 3-point line and 10 of 10 from the free-throw line. Butler had just six turnovers.GAME NOTES&nbsp;– The Blue Dragons are 125-67 against Butler. … There were three ties and six lead changes. … This was&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2020-21/bios/kuath_majok_xrls">Majok Kuath</a>'s fourth career game of 20 or more points. … The 66 points scored by Butler are a Blue Dragon opponent season low.&nbsp; <a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2020-21/boxscores/20210203_9dij.xml">FULL GAME STATS</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1612441190079.png" alt="MBB Stats vs Butler" />
 <figcaption>MBB Stats vs Butler</figcaption>
 </figure>

🏀 Blue Dragons stunned as Butler rallies to win

EL DORADO, Kan. – The Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team had season lows for points and shooting percentage and suffered its first loss of the season on Wednesday night.

Scoring 50 points or less for the first time since March 2018, the No. 11 Blue Dragons lost 56-50 to Jayhawk East leader and No. 25-ranked Butler at the Power Plant.

The Blue Dragons fall to 3-1 overall and 2-1 in the Jayhawk West. Butler is now 4-0 and 3-0 in the Jayhawk East. This was the fifth-straight meeting in the series where the teams have alternated wins.

Hutchinson had season-low marks for points scored, field goal percentage (29.4 percent), 3-point goals (5), 3-point percentage (15.2 percent), free throws (5) and three-throw percentage (33.3 percent). The Blue Dragons were ice cold in both the second and fourth quarters, scoring a combined 13 points on 5 of 29 shooting.

The Blue Dragons trailed 27-19 at halftime, but outscored the Grizzlies 25-12 in the third quarter. A&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2020-21/bios/ervin_kalyn_foze">Kalyn Ervin</a>&nbsp;3-pointer with 4:19 to play in the third gave the Blue Dragons their first lead since the first quarter at 33-31. The Dragons built a 44-38 lead after&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2020-21/bios/gore_lojong_i68o">Lojong Gore</a>&nbsp;putback with 1:20 to play in the period.

Butler's conference-leading defense clamped down on the Blue Dragons after that, outscoring Hutchinson 18-6 over the final 11 minutes. Hutchinson missed 16 of their final 19 shot attempts of the game. Hutch scored four points over the final 5 1/2 minutes. Tied at 48, Cymirah Williams' free throw with 2:30 to play gave Butler the lead for good. The Grizzlies sealed the win when Carissa Beck hit her first 3-pointer of the season with 1:25 to play for a 54-50 lead.

Gore led the Blue Dragons against Butler, posting her first career double-double with 14 points and a career-high 11 rebounds.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2020-21/bios/alford_tor-e_j660">Tor'e Alford</a>&nbsp;finished with 11 points. Ervin and&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2020-21/bios/haidara_nafatoumata_7n3l">Nafatoumata Haidara</a>&nbsp;had eight points each.

The Blue Dragons were 20 of 68 overall, going 5 of 33 from 3-point range and 5 of 15 from the foul like. The Blue Dragons were out-rebounded 40-33 and Hutch committed a season-high 23 turnovers.

Skyla Knight scored a game-high 20 points and had seven rebounds to lead the Grizzlies.

Butler was also held to season lows with 32.7 percent shooting (16 of 49), 4 of 12 from 3-point range and 20 of 33 from the free-throw line. The Grizzlies had 24 turnovers, but only seven after halftime.

Hutchinson will play host to Cloud County at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Sports Arena.

GAME NOTES&nbsp;– The Blue Dragons are now 57-32 all-time against Butler, 28-16 in games played in El Dorado. … Ontjes is now 42-25 against nationally ranked opponents. … Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2020-21/bios/ogle_kate_kntm">Kate Ogle</a>&nbsp;had a season-high nine rebounds.

By STEVE CARPENTER - Hutchinson CC Sports InformationEL DORADO, Kan. – The Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team had season lows for points and shooting percentage and suffered its first loss of the season on Wednesday night.Scoring 50 points or less for the first time since March 2018, the No. 11 Blue Dragons lost 56-50 to Jayhawk East leader and No. 25-ranked Butler at the Power Plant.The Blue Dragons fall to 3-1 overall and 2-1 in the Jayhawk West. Butler is now 4-0 and 3-0 in the Jayhawk East. This was the fifth-straight meeting in the series where the teams have alternated wins.Hutchinson had season-low marks for points scored, field goal percentage (29.4 percent), 3-point goals (5), 3-point percentage (15.2 percent), free throws (5) and three-throw percentage (33.3 percent). The Blue Dragons were ice cold in both the second and fourth quarters, scoring a combined 13 points on 5 of 29 shooting.The Blue Dragons trailed 27-19 at halftime, but outscored the Grizzlies 25-12 in the third quarter. A&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2020-21/bios/ervin_kalyn_foze">Kalyn Ervin</a>&nbsp;3-pointer with 4:19 to play in the third gave the Blue Dragons their first lead since the first quarter at 33-31. The Dragons built a 44-38 lead after&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2020-21/bios/gore_lojong_i68o">Lojong Gore</a>&nbsp;putback with 1:20 to play in the period.Butler's conference-leading defense clamped down on the Blue Dragons after that, outscoring Hutchinson 18-6 over the final 11 minutes. Hutchinson missed 16 of their final 19 shot attempts of the game. Hutch scored four points over the final 5 1/2 minutes. Tied at 48, Cymirah Williams' free throw with 2:30 to play gave Butler the lead for good. The Grizzlies sealed the win when Carissa Beck hit her first 3-pointer of the season with 1:25 to play for a 54-50 lead.Gore led the Blue Dragons against Butler, posting her first career double-double with 14 points and a career-high 11 rebounds.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2020-21/bios/alford_tor-e_j660">Tor'e Alford</a>&nbsp;finished with 11 points. Ervin and&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2020-21/bios/haidara_nafatoumata_7n3l">Nafatoumata Haidara</a>&nbsp;had eight points each.The Blue Dragons were 20 of 68 overall, going 5 of 33 from 3-point range and 5 of 15 from the foul like. The Blue Dragons were out-rebounded 40-33 and Hutch committed a season-high 23 turnovers.Skyla Knight scored a game-high 20 points and had seven rebounds to lead the Grizzlies.Butler was also held to season lows with 32.7 percent shooting (16 of 49), 4 of 12 from 3-point range and 20 of 33 from the free-throw line. The Grizzlies had 24 turnovers, but only seven after halftime.Hutchinson will play host to Cloud County at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Sports Arena.GAME NOTES&nbsp;– The Blue Dragons are now 57-32 all-time against Butler, 28-16 in games played in El Dorado. … Ontjes is now 42-25 against nationally ranked opponents. … Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2020-21/bios/ogle_kate_kntm">Kate Ogle</a>&nbsp;had a season-high nine rebounds.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1612441013358.png" alt="WBB Stats vs Butler" />
 <figcaption>WBB Stats vs Butler</figcaption>
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