HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The No. 4-ranked Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team kept its unbeaten season alive following an 82-77 win over No. 12 Dodge City on Wednesday in the Sports Arena.
The game lived up to the hype of two nationally ranked teams, and two teams in the top-half of the Jayhawk Conference standings. Hutchinson (19-0, 13-0 KJCCC) now has a three-game lead on Dodge City (16-3, 10-3) who sits in second place.
Kiki Smith scored a career-high 29 points in the win to go along with six three rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Smith led four players in double-figure scoring for the Blue Dragons. Monae Duffy finished with 16 points and eight rebounds, while Journey Armstead had 14 points, five assists and five steals. Armstead also went over the 500-point plateau in her Blue Dragon career with a layup in the third quarter. Hailey Jackson scored a dozen points to go along with two rebounds.
Dodge City led by four points entering the second quarter, a quarter in which 51 combined points were scored, 28 by the Blue Dragons and 23 by the Conquistadors to give Hutchinson a 46-45 lead at halftime.
Hutchinson built an eight-point lead early in the third quarter to grab its largest lead of the game. Dodge City held its largest lead of eight points as well, which came in the second quarter.
The Blue Dragons took care of the basketball, turning it over 10 times, compared to the 17 committed by the Conqs. Hutchinson scored 17 points from Dodge City turnovers, while the Conqs scored seven from the Blue Dragon miscues.
Dodge City was led by Paris Santacaterina with a 26 points on 11-of-19 shooting. Parris Atkins finished with a double-double, 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Hutchinson held the nations leading three-point shooting team to nine made shots from behind-the-arc. The Conqs average 11 made threes per contest.
The Blue Dragons will have a bye on Saturday before returning to the hardwood next Wednesday at Colby (6-12, 2-11) for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff.
Dodge City - 22 23 17 15 -- 77
Hutchinson - 18 28 20 16 -- 82
Dodge City: Santacaterina 26, Atkins 15, Jones 13, Cameron 9, Preston 7, Jordan 3, Morgan 2, Briskey 2.
Hutchinson: Smith 29, Duffy 16, Armstead 14, Jackson 12, Muggeridge 6, Mosley 3, Horyna 2.