DODGE CITY, Kan. — The Dragons ended a four-game losing skid Saturday in Dodge City, but the victory did not come easily.
Hutchinson kept a four-point buffer for most of the final five minutes until the Conqs made their move to take the lead.
Dodge City went up by one with 15 seconds left after a steal and layup.
Enter: Aaron Franklin.
An errant pass to Franklin one play earlier led to the breakaway points.
Franklin called for the ball and went to work offensively. His shot from the right elbow clanked off the back iron after he nearly turned the ball over.
Game over.
But not so fast. Just before the buzzer, the center official clearly signaled for a foul on the shot.
Officials put four-tenths of a second back on the clock and sent Franklin to the line.
Franklin's first free throw crawled around the hoop and sneaked in to tie the game at 112.
Dodge City took a timeout to ice Franklin and plan for his miss or make.
Franklin confidently drained the second free throw. The Conqs inbounded the ball but not cleanly, as time expired before Dodge City could attempt a desperation heave.
FINAL: Hutchinson 113 Dodge City 112
The Dragons had lost four straight and five of the last six before Saturday's victory.
The losing streak came after the Dragons ran up to No. 4 in the national poll behind a perfect 7-0 start.
Six Dragons scored in double figures, led by Franklin's 25.
The Conqs got 28 from Jason Edwards and another 26 from Shawn Warrior.
UP NEXT:
Hutchinson wraps up the first semester schedule by hosting Colby at the Sports Arena on Monday night at 7:30pm.
Dodge City host Cloud County on Monday night to see who takes the lead in the KJCCC at the Christmas break.
CLICK HERE to download the Hutch Post mobile app.
CLICK HERE to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.