HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The No. 13 Hutchinson Community College women extended their winning streak and advanced in the postseason Tuesday night, defeating Colby 74-65 in a Region 6 Tournament quarterfinal at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
The victory was the 11th straight for the Blue Dragons, who improved to 26-5 overall. Hutchinson also improved to 71-39 all-time in Region 6 Tournament play and advanced to the semifinals for the 23rd time in program history. Colby ended its season at 16-16.
The win was also a milestone for Hutchinson head coach John Ontjes, who earned his 300th career victory at the Sports Arena. Ontjes is now 300-34 in games played on Sam Butterfield Court.
Hutchinson will face No. 9 Dodge City at 5:30 p.m. Friday in the Region 6 Tournament semifinals at Fleske Fieldhouse on the campus of Barton Community College in Great Bend. The Blue Dragons and Conquistadors split their regular-season meetings, with each team winning on its home floor.
The game was tightly contested early as Colby built a small lead in the first half behind strong play from Dessirae Ulmer, who scored 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Trojans.
Hutchinson responded late in the half and used a balanced offensive effort to stay within striking distance before gaining momentum in the second half.
The Blue Dragons took control with their presence on the glass, outrebounding Colby 46-32 and turning 15 offensive rebounds into 25 second-chance points. Hutchinson also scored 30 points in the paint and finished 18 of 29 from the free-throw line.
Noelle Anthon led the Blue Dragons with 17 points and nine rebounds, including several key baskets in the fourth quarter. Katie Duncan added 14 points and six assists, while KaMyra Barber and Kaia Smith each scored 11 points. Whitney Brown chipped in nine points, and Delora Pricop added six points off the bench.
Smith knocked down three 3-pointers and grabbed seven rebounds as Hutchinson finished with six 3-pointers and 15 assists on 25 made field goals.
Colby remained within striking distance entering the fourth quarter and trimmed the deficit to 39-37 early in the period.
Hutchinson answered with a decisive run, stretching the lead to 57-44 on an Anthon tip-in with 9:06 remaining. The Blue Dragons maintained control from there, answering each Colby push down the stretch.
Piri Lewis added 12 points and six assists for the Trojans, while Amisha Russell scored 13 points.
The other semifinal will feature No. 2 Butler against Coffeyville with tipoff scheduled for 1 p.m.
You can hear Friday's semifinal games on Blue Dragon flagship station KHUT-FM (102.9) and on sister stations KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5) beginning at 5:15 p.m. with Sean Boston (PBP) and Dan Naccarato (color) calling the action.