STEVE CARPENTER - Hutchinson CC Sports Information
PRATT, Kan. – The Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball team made the plays at the end of regulation to force overtime and did the same to force a second extra overtime period on Saturday night at Pratt.
Coach Steve Eck's comments after the Double Overtime loss to Pratt:
The No. 25 Blue Dragons fell just one play short, though, in the second overtime and dropped a 94-91 Jayhawk West decision to the Beavers.
The Blue Dragons fall to 15-4 overall, going to 6-4 in the Jayhawk West. The Blue Dragons still are just one-half game out of first play in the Jayhawk West after Colby’s win over Barton also on Saturday. Pratt improves to 11-8 and 5-5 in the West.
The Blue Dragons will play host to Dodge City at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Trailing 76-73 late in regulation, Josh Baker hit a 3-pointer to tie the game. Then D.J. Mitchell blocked a short Jamel Horton shot with 2 seconds remaining to force an extra session tied at 76. Trailing 87-84 in the first overtime, Baker tied the game with a 3-pointer after a D.J. Mitchell steal. Pratt then missed a 3-pointer and Tyler Brown blocked another Horton shot at the buzzer to go to the second overtime.
Jaden Okon hit a free throw with 4:17 left in the second extra session for a 90-89 Dragon lead. Pratt’s Zool Kueth hit a 3-pointer with 2:54 to go to take a 92-90 lead and the Beavers never gave the lead up. Trailing 92-21, the Blue Dragons made four huge stops in the final minute, but weren’t able to get that key second OT hoop. After the fourth stop, Hutch couldn’t corral the rebound and the Beavers got their 29th offensive rebound. Pratt converted that into two Kueth free throws with 7.9 seconds left for a 94-91 lead. The Dragons couldn’t their final 3-pointer to go on the final possession of the game.
Rebounding was a key statistic for the Dragons. The Dragons were out-rebounded 57-41. The 29 offensive rebounds allowed turned into 88 Pratt shot attempts, 24 more than the Blue Dragons, and a 33-15 advantage in second-chance points. The 57 total boards and 29 offensive rebounds were opponent highs against the Blue Dragons this season.
Mitchell led the Blue Dragons offensively, reaching two milestones in the process. Mitchell had a game-high 22 points, hitting a season-high-tying five 3-point range. He reached the career 700-point mark, now with 706. He also became the 13th Blue Dragon in program history to reach 100 career 3-pointers.
Freshman Majok Kuath recorded his third double-double this season with 17 points and 10 rebounds. He fouled out late in the first overtime.
Baker had 16 points with three 3-pointers. Brown had 12 points. Both Baker and Brown had four assists. Saquan Singleton had nine points and Okon had eight.
The Blue Dragons shot 42.2 percent for the game (27 of 64, hitting 10 of 24 from 3-point range and 27 of 34 from the free-throw line. The Dragons had 16 turnovers, but tallied 17 assists, 11 steals and a season-high eight blocked shots.
Pratt was 31 of 88 overall (35.2 percent). The Beavers hit 11 of 38 3-pointers and 21 of 26 from the free-throw line.
Horton led the Beavers with 23 points and six rebounds. Deontae Davis had a double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds. His five 3-pointers on 12 attempts were the most by a Blue Dragon opponent this season. Kueth and Julian Eziukwu had 11 points each and Drew Honas had 10 points.
Pratt had an early five-point lead. Mitchell had two early 3-pointers to keep the Dragons close and Hutch finally grabbed the lead on a Brown layup with 7:15 to play in the period for an 18-17 lead. Tied at 21, the Dragons went on a 7-1 run highlighted by Mitchell’s 3-pointer with 4:10 to go. Kuath hit 1 of 2 free throws with 3:28 left and Hutch led 29-22. Pratt answered with a 9-4 run to pull within 33-31 after a Harrison Eghan dunk. Kuath hit four free throws in the final 37 seconds to send the Blue Dragons into the locker room with a 37-31 lead
Baker’s layup with 18:57 to play gave the Blue Dragons their largest lead of eight at 39-31. Pratt answered with a 10-2 run to tie the game at 41, but a Mitchell 3-pointer stopped that run with 16:34 to play. Tied at 65, the Blue Dragons went on an 8-2 run for a 73-67 lead after two Mitchell free throws with 3:05 to go. Pratt went on a 9-0 run over the next 2:20 and led 76-73 after an Eziukwu inside bucket with 27 seconds to go in regulation. Baker tied the game with a 3-pointer with 14.5 seconds left and the game went to overtime.
There were seven lead changes and 10 ties in the second half alone.
GAME NOTES – This was the sixth recorded double-overtime game in Blue Dragon history. Hutch is 5-1 in double-overtime games. … The Blue Dragons are 20-5 in overtime games under head coach Steve Eck. … Hutchinson still leads the overall series with Pratt 146-25, including 68-12 at Pratt and 4-2 in overtime. … This was the seventh time this season Hutchinson has allowed 10 or more 3-pointers. … Pratt’s James Burns had an individual opponent high four blocked shots. … The Dragons are now 13-3 when leading at halftime. … The Dragons are 10-2 this season when holding an opponent to less than 40 percent shooting. … Mitchell has three 20-point games this season. … Jaden Okon had career highs of five free throws and six free-throw attempts.