By STEVE CARPENTER - Hutchinson CC Sports Information
The Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team used a 24-5 run over the final 6:32 of the first half to defeat Garden City 86-64 on Saturday night at the Sports Arena.
The No. 23-ranked Blue Dragons clinched a tie for the program's 37th league championship with the victory. The Blue Dragons (15-4 overall) are 14-4 in the Jayhawk West and lead second-place Dodge city by two games with two games to play. The Blue Dragons did clinch the No. 1 seed out of the Jayhawk West for the upcoming Region VI Tournament because the Blue Dragons own the head-to-head tie-breaker with the Conquistadors.
Hutchinson will close out the regular season with a road trip to Barton on Monday and a home game with Colby on Wednesday.
The Blue Dragons led just 18-17 with 6:32 remaining in the first half. Chris Robinson's layup with 5:43 to play in the first half started the decisive first-half run by the Blue Dragons. Josh Baker then nailed a 3-pointer for a 23-17 lead. Then the lead went to double figures on a Jaden Okon steal and layup for a 27-17 lead with 3:56 to go.
Still leading 32-22, the Dragons closed the 24-5 run with a Stephan Gabriel field goal and free throw. Then with 6 seconds to play, Isaiah Bujdoso went the length of the floor and scored with 1 second remaining to give the Blue Dragons a 37-22 lead.
The Blue Dragons built a 20-point lead at 47-27 on a Bujdoso score with 15:52 to play. Bujdoso then hit a 3-pointer with 8:49 left and Hutchinson had a game-high 25-point lead at 67-42. The Dragons shot 52.8 percent in the second half and outscored Garden City 49-42 in the final two minutes.
Bujdoso and Matt Mayers scored 15 points each to lead the Blue Dragons. Mayers added nine points and Bujdoso had four assists.
Okon and Baker had 11 points each. Baker was 3 of 6 from 3-point range. Okon added four rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Robinson had nine points and Majok Kuath had eight points.
The Blue Dragons shot 46.4 percent for the game (32 of 69), going 6 of 19 from 3-point range and 16 of 24 from the free-throw line. The Dragons out-rebounded Garden City 43-37 and had only 10 turnovers. The Blue Dragons dished out 20 assists by eight different players and had eight blocked shots.
The Broncbusters were missing their leading scorer in Denver Jones, the No. 4-leading scorer in the KJCCC at 19.5 points per game. Jasman Sangba had 20 points and Rodney Lewis finished with 10 points to lead the Busters.
Garden City shot 43.1 percent (28 of 65), hitting 4 of 18 from 3-point range and 4 of 6 from the foul line. The Busters turned the ball over 17 times.
GAME NOTES - The Blue Dragons are now 139-49 all-time against Garden City. … This was all-time win No. 1,843 for the Blue Dragons. … This was the Blue Dragons' eighth game of 20 assists or more.