HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The No. 9 Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team overcame a 13-point deficit to defeat No. 7 Dodge City, 75-67, on Wednesday at the Sports Arena in the regular-season finale.
The victory secured a share of the Jayhawk Conference title for the Blue Dragons, marking the 14th in program history.
Despite the win, Hutchinson (27-3, 21-3) lost the tiebreaker to Dodge City (26-4, 21-3), giving the Conquistadors the No. 1 seed in the Region VI Tournament. The Blue Dragons will enter as the No. 2 seed.
After an 18-18 tie at the end of the first quarter, Dodge City outscored Hutchinson by 10 in the second quarter to take a 38-28 halftime lead. Both teams scored 13 points in the third, giving the Conquistadors a 51-41 advantage heading into the fourth.
The Blue Dragons shot 50% from the field in their 21-point fourth-quarter rally. They trailed by as many as 12 early in the period before mounting their comeback.
Kahlen Norris hit back-to-back shots to tie the game at 60 with 44 seconds left. Dodge City briefly regained the lead with two free throws, but Brynne Katcher muscled in a contested layup with three seconds remaining to tie the game at 62. The Conquistadors had a final shot attempt, but it missed, sending the game to overtime.
Hutchinson controlled the extra period, outscoring Dodge City 13-5 after the Conquistadors scored the first basket. Landon Forbes led the Blue Dragons in overtime with seven points, while Hailey Jackson added six.
The Blue Dragons capitalized on Dodge City's 24 turnovers, converting them into 28 points, while committing just eight turnovers themselves.
Jackson led Hutchinson with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Forbes added 19 points, seven assists, and five steals, while Norris contributed 10 points and five boards.
Dodge City, which led for over 38 minutes of the game, was paced by Shorna Preston’s double-double of 16 points and 16 rebounds. Layla-J Cameron also scored 16 points.
Hutchinson will host the winner of No. 7 Cloud County vs. No. 10 Colby on Tuesday, March 11, at 5:30 p.m. The Thunderbirds and Trojans face off Saturday at 2 p.m. in Concordia.