GREAT BEND, Kan. — Third-seeded Hutchinson continued its postseason surge Friday night, knocking off second-seeded Dodge City 69-57 in the Region 6 Tournament semifinals at Fleske Fieldhouse to advance to the championship game for the 12th time in program history.
The No. 13-ranked Blue Dragons improved to 27-5, won their 12th consecutive game and moved within one victory of a Region 6 Tournament title. Hutchinson will face top-seeded Butler at 3 p.m. Saturday at Fleske Fieldhouse. The Grizzlies, ranked No. 2 nationally, enter the title game on a 22-game winning streak and have not lost since early December.
Dodge City, the tournament’s No. 2 seed, fell to 26-5.
Hutchinson never trailed, controlling the game from the opening minutes behind a dominant effort from sophomore post Noelle Anthon, who produced her fourth career double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Anthon went 8 of 15 from the field and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line, helping the Blue Dragons establish the tone inside while also finishing key possessions late.
The Blue Dragons built their advantage with balance, rebounding and depth.
Katie Duncan added 15 points and seven rebounds while knocking down three 3-pointers. KaMyra Barber finished with 10 points and five rebounds, and Jamya McPherson gave Hutchinson an important lift off the bench with 10 points in 12 minutes. Whitney Brown scored five points but helped direct the offense with eight assists as Hutchinson assisted on 17 of its 25 field goals.
That all-around production helped Hutchinson overcome a huge individual night from Dodge City’s Savi Mi, who poured in 29 points and hit six 3-pointers. No other Conquistador scored more than 12 points.
Hutchinson set the tone early.
Barber opened the scoring with a 3-pointer, and the Blue Dragons used an 8-0 burst to build an early cushion. Anthon scored eight first-quarter points as Hutchinson limited Dodge City to 3-of-15 shooting in the opening period and carried a 16-8 lead into the second quarter.
The Blue Dragons pushed the margin to 12 midway through the second after Anthon converted a three-point play and Duncan hit two free throws, making it 23-11. Dodge City briefly found momentum after a technical foul on Hutchinson contributed to a four-point possession that trimmed the lead to seven, but the Blue Dragons answered again.
Duncan drilled a 3-pointer, Delora Pricop added a second-chance basket and Jaden Wilson scored twice in the quarter as Hutchinson rebuilt its control and took a 32-23 lead into halftime.
Hutchinson’s work on the glass and in the paint was a major factor throughout the night. The Blue Dragons outrebounded Dodge City 44-33, including a 15-11 edge on the offensive glass, and turned those extra opportunities into a 14-4 advantage in second-chance points. Hutchinson also outscored Dodge City 32-24 in the paint.
Dodge City made its strongest push in the third quarter behind Mi, who scored 22 of her 29 points after halftime.
After Duncan opened the second half with a 3-pointer to put Hutchinson up 35-23, the Conquistadors chipped away. Mi buried back-to-back 3-pointers and later completed a three-point play, pulling Dodge City within 39-36 with 5:13 left in the third.
Each time Dodge City threatened, Hutchinson responded.
Anthon scored on back-to-back interior baskets to steady the Blue Dragons, Duncan answered with another 3-pointer, and McPherson came through with a key 3 of her own as Hutchinson rebuilt the lead. Even after Mi hit a late 3-pointer to cut the margin to 51-45 at the end of the third, Hutchinson still had control.
The Blue Dragons delivered the decisive answer in the fourth.
McPherson opened the quarter with a 3-pointer after an offensive rebound, stretching the lead to 54-47. After Dodge City closed within 59-55 with 4:21 remaining, Hutchinson put together the sequence that finally broke the game open.
Duncan scored on a driving layup to push the lead back to six. Then, after a defensive stop and timeout, Barber knocked down a 3-pointer from the wing off a Brown assist for a 64-55 advantage with 2:35 remaining.
From there, Hutchinson closed it out at the free-throw line and on the defensive end. Anthon hit two free throws with 1:35 left, and the Blue Dragons held Dodge City scoreless from the field over a crucial stretch while forcing late empty possessions. Anthon added the final basket with seven seconds left to seal the 12-point win.
The Blue Dragons shot 39.7 percent from the floor, made 8 of 24 from 3-point range and converted 11 of 14 free throws. They committed only nine turnovers and held Dodge City to 35.7 percent shooting overall and 24.1 percent from beyond the arc.
Hutchinson’s bench also made a significant difference, outscoring Dodge City’s reserves 16-4.
Now the Blue Dragons turn their attention to another challenge Saturday afternoon against Butler, the tournament’s top seed and one of the nation’s hottest teams. Hutchinson will try to carry its own momentum into that matchup after another sharp performance extended one of the best stretches of its season.
You can hear Saturday's championship game on Blue Dragon flagship station KHUT-FM (102.9) and on sister stations KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5) beginning at 2:45 p.m. with Sean Boston (PBP) and Dan Naccarato (color) calling the action.