by GREAT BEND – Freshman Kiki Smith poured in a season-high 28 points to lead the Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team to a fifth-straight win to start the season after an 83-65 victory over the Redlands Cougars on Saturday at the Barton Classic.
Smith scored 20 of her season-high point total in the first half as the Blue Dragons rallied from an early five-point deficit.
Now 5-0, the Blue Dragons have a full week to prepare for Dodge City and the Jayhawk Conference opener for both teams next Saturday in Dodge City. Redlands is now 4-2.
Smith hit 10 of 15 overall shots, including 2 of 7 from 3-point range and 6 of 7 from the foul line to score a Blue Dragon individual season high for the season. Smith added four rebounds and four assists. Smith was 7 of 10 from the field in her 20-point first half.
Freshman Hailey Jackson scored 12 points with seven rebounds. Sophomore Journey Armstead also scored 12 points. Sophomore Monae Duffy had 11 points and seven rebounds.
The Blue Dragons finished shooting 47.5 percent (29 of 61) for the game. The Dragons hit 8 of 27 from 3-point range and 17 of 27 from the free-throw line. The Dragons owned a 38-26 rebounding advantage and had just eight turnovers.
Redlands shot 50.0 percent for the game (24 of 48) for the game. Redlands hit 6 of 17 from 3-point range and 11 of 13 from the foul line. The Cougars had 16 turnovers.
Ashlyn Evans-Thompson had 19 points to lead Redlands. Isabella Stafford had 14 points.
A Stafford jumper after an offensive rebound gave Redlands a 7-2 lead with 7:35 to play in the first quarter. The Dragons scored just two points over the first 4 minutes of the quarter. Trailing 11-10, an Armstead steal led to a Smith layup for the Dragons’ first lead at 12-11. Tied at 16, Smith hit a 3-pointer for a 3-point lead. Smith had 11 points in the opening 10 minutes. Her free throws with 17 seconds left gave the Dragons a 21-18 lead. Hutchinson led 21-20 after one quarter.
Tied at 22 in the second quarter, a Smith layup gave the Dragons a 24-22 lead with 7:43 to play in the half. Then tied at 27, the Dragons took a three-point lead after a Jackson 3-point goal. Two Duffy free throws with 2:33 left upped the Dragon lead to 35-29. Smith buried a 3-pointer with 1:02 to play for a 40-32 Hutchinson lead. Peyton Mosley hit a 3-pointer in the final minute of the period to give the Dragons a 43-35 lead at halftime.
The Dragons reached a double-figure lead for the first time at 8:01 to play in the third quarter after a Duffy jumper gave Hutchinson a 47-37 lead. Redlands got as close as seven points in the period, but a Bree Horyna putback gave the Blue Dragons a 60-49 lead after three quarters.
The Hutchinson lead grew to 16 points in the first minute of the fourth quarter after a Jackson 3-pointer gave the Dragons a 65-49 lead. Redlands got as close as 14 points with 4:39 to play in the period. The Dragons outscored Redlands 23-16 in the fourth quarter to close out the victory.
