GOODLAND, Kan. — No. 13 Hutchinson closed the regular season on a high note Wednesday night, rolling past Fort Hays Tech Northwest 76-50 inside Max Jones Fieldhouse.
The Blue Dragons never trailed and controlled the game from the opening quarter on their way to improving to 25-5 overall and 20-4 in the Jayhawk Conference.
Hutchinson will now turn its attention to the postseason. The Blue Dragons earned the No. 3 seed in the 12-team Region 6 Tournament and will host a quarterfinal game at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Sports Arena. Hutchinson will face the winner of Saturday’s first-round matchup between No. 6 seed Colby and No. 11 seed Pratt.
The Blue Dragons built separation early, outscoring the Tigers 21-13 in the first quarter and extending the lead to 36-25 by halftime. Hutchinson pulled away in the third quarter with a 23-14 advantage before closing out the 26-point win.
Katie Duncan led Hutchinson with 19 points, shooting 7 of 11 from the field and knocking down two 3-pointers.
Noelle Anthon added 16 points and 10 rebounds for her third double-double of the season, while Jaden Wilson recorded the first double-double of her career with 13 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.
KaMyra Barber finished with 11 points for the Blue Dragons.
Kaia Smith grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds as Hutchinson dominated the glass 51-31 and outscored Fort Hays Tech Northwest 42-22 in the paint.
Hutchinson shot 40.6 percent from the field and forced 20 turnovers, converting them into 22 points.
Marta Rodriguez led Fort Hays Tech Northwest with 17 points.
The Tigers finished the regular season 2-28 overall and 2-22 in conference play. They will be the No. 12-seed and will play at No. 5-seed Seward County on Saturday afternoon.