ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. — Saturday's contest between Hutchinson (10-14, 5-13) and Cowley (15-8, 10-7) featured six ties and 12 lead changes.
Five of those ties and 10 lead changes came in the second half.
The Dragons trailed the Tigers by seven with 3:45 left in the first half before pulling back within one at the break. Just four minutes before Cowley's biggest lead of the first frame, Hutchinson took a three-point advantage.
The contest was deadlocked at 51 with just under seven minutes to play before Cowley started to keep its distance with a four-point advantage.
Hutchinson then cut that lead to 62-60 and had a chance to tie with a Bobby Cannon putback dunk. The dunk attempt with 32 seconds left shot off the back of the rim and forced the Dragons into foul mode.
The Dragons needed three fouls to put the Tigers in the one-and-one bonus.
With 18 seconds left, Roman Miller went to the line for the first time in the game and missed. Lolo Rudolph nearly had the rebound before the ball rolled free and back to the Tigers.
Hutchinson had to foul again, this time sending Xavier Vickerstaff to the line. He made the first free throw but missed the second.
Down three with 14 seconds, Hutchinson went down the court looking to tie the game with a deep ball.
Cannon got the ball with two seconds left but could not get a shot off before the ball was taken away.
FINAL: Cowley 63 Hutchinson 60
Daleron Thomas led Hutchinson with 15 points. Kordell Williams scored 11 and Anthony Alston provided 10 off the bench.
Marcus Smith led Cowley with 15 points.
The Dragons have lost eight-straight games.
Hutchinson returns home Wednesday, Feb. 11, to face No. 19 Dodge City at 7:30 p.m.