STEVE CARPENTER - Hutchinson CC Sports Information
The Jayhawk West champion Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team will have Wednesday off as the Region VI Tournament begins.
The No. 12-ranked Blue Dragons won their first conference title since 2017 and 10th overall after a 78-62 win over No. 18 Seward County in the season finale on Saturday night at the Sports Arena.
Jayhawk East champion Butler (22-8) also receives an opening-round bye. The Grizzlies are the tournament's No. 1 overall seed despite five few wins than the Blue Dragons. The No. 1 overall seed flips back and forth each season and this was the East's turn to have the tournament's top seed.
The Blue Dragons will await the winner of the Dodge City-Cowley matchup at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Arkansas City.
Dodge City and Cowley gave the Blue Dragons their only conference losses this season.
The other half of the lower bracket features 14th-seed Garden City (11-19) at No. 3-seed Coffeyville (24-6) and No. 11-seed Cloud County (9-21) at No. 6 Barton (15-15).
Hutchinson, Butler and the six-opening-round winners advance to the women's quarterfinals, which this year will be at United Wireless Arena in Dodge City. The quarterfinals will be Saturday – Hutchinson will play at 7 p.m. – the semifinals on Monday, March 2 and championship on Tuesday, March 3.
