INDEPENDENCE, Kan. — Hutchinson Community College could not withstand a big second-half surge from Independence on Tuesday night as the Blue Dragons fell 88-80 in Jayhawk Conference play at the ICC Fieldhouse.
Hutchinson led 37-33 at halftime and pushed the margin to six early in the second half before the Pirates caught fire. Independence outscored the Dragons 55-43 after the break, taking the lead for good on a three pointer by David Wilson with just over 15 minutes to play and answering every Hutchinson push down the stretch.
Sophomore guard Bobby Cannon turned in a huge night for the Blue Dragons with a career-high 38 points on 16 of 27 shooting. He added five rebounds, two steals and a block. Anthony Alston finished with 10 points off the bench, while Kyrell Shaw and Jonathan Ogunfuye each scored nine. Lolo Rudolph had seven points and a team high six assists, and Kordell Williams added seven points and six rebounds.
Hutchinson shot 46.3 percent from the field, going 31 of 67 overall and 6 of 17 from three point range. The Dragons held a 37-35 rebounding edge but were just 12 of 18 at the foul line.
Independence countered with a balanced attack. Wilson led the Pirates with 19 points, while Trae Lewis hit four threes and finished with 15 points. Lonnie Bass Jr. added 11 points and seven rebounds, and Zion Dixon chipped in nine points. The Pirates shot 50 percent from the floor, went 8 of 16 from beyond the arc and made 18 of 21 free throws.
Hutchinson dropped to 6-3 overall and 1-2 in the Jayhawk Conference. Independence improved to 4-4 and 2-1.
The Blue Dragons return home Saturday to host Seward County at the Sports Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m., following the women’s game.