Hutchinson CC Sports Information
BLUE DRAGON WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
No. 1 Hutchinson (0-0) at NOC-Tonkawa (0-0)
2024-25 Season Opener
When: Friday, November 1, 2024
At: NOC Gym, Tonkawa, OK
Tipoff: 5:30 p.m.
Radio: KHUT-FM (102.9), 5:15 p.m. – Sean Boston (PBP); Daren Dunn (Color)
Video: Blue Dragon Sports Network, 5:15 p.m.
X: @bluedragonsport
CLICK FOR BLUE DRAGON GAME NOTES (PDF Format)
The 51st season opens Friday night for the Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team as the 2023-24 national champion Blue Dragons are on the road to play at Northern Oklahoma College-Tonkawa.
The Blue Dragons (37-0 in 2023-24) take on the Mavericks (14-16 in 2023-24) at 5:30 p.m. at the NOC Gym in Tonkawa, Oklahoma.
This is the first time since the 2005-06 season the Blue Dragons have opened the season on the road. Hutchinson traveled to Kansas City on November 4-5 2005 to defeat
Iowa Central and North Arkansas in the KCK Classic. This will be the 16th time the Hutchinson women have opened a season on the road.
Hutchinson is 41-9 all-time in season openers.
Head coach John Ontjes begins his 18th season with the Blue Dragons. He has posted a career 483-96 all-time record at Hutchinson, which includes last year’s NJCAA National Championship.
Four players return from a team that went 37-0 last season, defeating Northwest Florida State 88-80 in overtime on April 1 in Casper, Wyoming.
All-conference, All-region and All-NJCAA Tournament player Hailey Jackson is the top returning scorer for the Blue Dragons. Jackson, who will go down in Blue Dragon lore as the player who hit three clutch free throws with 0.7 seconds left to force regulation in last season’s championship game, averaged 12.9 points and 6.2 rebounds last season.
Also back are guards Kahlen Norris and Jada Pleasant and forward Madi Denison.
Three transfers and seven true freshmen make up the 2024-25 roster for the Blue Dragons.
NOC-Tonkawa lost in the semifinals of the Region 2 tournament last season. Head coach Greg Krause returns only one player in guard Natalie Walker, who averaged 3.5 points in 26 games last season.
The Blue Dragons and Mavericks met last season on November 21 at the Sports Arena. The Dragons rolled to an 80-54 victory. The Dragons shot nearly 48 percent and was led by Journey Armstead’s 14 points. Jackson had her first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Friday’s game will be the first trip to Tonkawa for the Blue Dragons since Ontjes’ first season in 2007-08. The Blue Dragons dropped an 81-73 decision to the Mavericks.