HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson could not withstand a late Garden City surge on Thursday night, falling 84-76 in Jayhawk Conference play at the Sports Arena.
The Blue Dragons led 54-46 with just over 11 minutes to play after a stretch that included a Kyrell Shaw layup, two free throws from Daleron Thomas and a Kordell Williams dunk in transition. Garden City answered with a decisive run, using second-chance points, free throws and timely perimeter shooting to flip the game. Zaire Lott sparked the Broncbusters with a layup and later a three from the left wing, while Jordon Nevill buried multiple perimeter shots as Garden City outscored Hutchinson 38-22 over the final 11 minutes.
Nevill finished with a game-high 26 points, going 8 of 17 from the field and 5 of 12 from three, and hit 5 of 7 free throws to help close the game. Lott added 15 points off the bench, while Garden City’s reserves combined for 44 points. Mangok Gach added five points and a team-high seven rebounds, and the Broncbusters turned 13 steals into transition opportunities, taking advantage of 20 Hutchinson turnovers.
Shaw paced Hutchinson with 21 points and seven rebounds, attacking the lane and going 6 of 8 at the foul line. Bobby Cannon added 20 points and eight rebounds, including a three in the final two minutes that trimmed the deficit to 79-73. Asher Boney chipped in 13 points on 3 of 4 shooting with two 3-pointers, and Williams posted six points and 10 rebounds. Point guard Lolo Rudolph finished with 10 points and 11 assists while getting to the line for a 6 of 7 night at the stripe.
Hutchinson shot 44.2 percent from the field and held a 45-39 rebounding advantage, but the Blue Dragons were 4 of 17 from three and 26 of 38 at the line. Garden City shot 39.2 percent, went 8 of 36 from long range and 14 of 19 at the stripe, but compensated with extra possessions and a 44-24 edge in bench scoring.
The Broncbusters led 38-34 at halftime after a back-and-forth first half that saw Hutchinson start strong behind Cannon inside and Shaw attacking the rim. A late Nevill three extended Garden City’s lead going into the break, and although the Blue Dragons opened the second half with a 15-5 burst to briefly take control, Garden City’s closing run decided the contest in the final minutes.
Hutchinson (5-2, 0-1) will travel to El Dorado on Saturday to face Butler (5-2, 1-0) with a 4 p.m. tipoff from the Power Plant. The game can be heard on KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5) with pregame coverage starting at 3:45 p.m.