DODGE CITY, Kan. — No. 18 Hutchinson (18-6, 12-6) nearly edged No. 6 Dodge City (21-4, 16-3) without leading scorer Angelo Stuart.
Stuart, who scored 34 points in the first meeting, was sidelined with an injury.
Meanwhile, the Conqs got back their leading scorer, Kalen Williams, who missed the first matchup.
Hutchinson took an early 17-11 lead before Dodge City fought back to a 49-47 advantage at half.
The Dragons hit six three-pointers but made only one free throw attempt on seven tries in the first half.
Hutchinson could not find an answer for national player of the week Themus Fulks, who scored 11 of his 21 points from the free throw line. Fulks had 10 of his team's 15 assists.
Hutchinson had five players in foul trouble. Two of them, Josiah Harris and Jayden Hall, fouled out. The other three, Tarese Morse, Jacquez Yow and Kobe Campbell, played with four.
Campbell went to the bench as the Dragons' leading scorer with 12:43 to play.
Down four at the time, Hutchinson battled back to take an 85-84 lead with 5:52 remaining after back-to-back threes from Zavion McClendon.
The lead jumped to four before Dodge City tied the game at 95.
Hutchinson seemingly fixed the free throw issue by hitting its first seven tries of the second half.
However, some late misses at the line kept Hutchinson from the victory.
Down two with 1:49, Kaimen Lennox missed an opportunity. Then with a chance to take the lead, Campbell missed twice with 59 seconds left.
The misses allowed Fulks an opportunity to ice the game at the line.
Hutchinson did have a chance to tie in the waning moments, but the team's eighth turnover proved costly.
The eight turnovers were a season low. Dodge City turned the ball over an opponent season-low nine times.
FINAL: Dodge City 100 Hutchinson 96
Hutchinson took 20 more shots than Dodge City, but made 44.4% to the Conqs' 55.7%.
Dodge City did not shoot particularly well from the free throw line (64.3%), but got twice as many attempts (42).
Hutchinson finished 15 of 26 from the line.
Lennox finished as Hutchinson's leading scorer with 17.
Campbell finished with 13. He did not score again after picking up his fourth foul.Harris led the Dragons with 16 rebounds.
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