FRANKLIN HITS CLUTCH FREE THROWS TO HELP DRAGONS SNAP SKID
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
DODGE CITY – Aaron Franklin sank two free throws with 0.4 seconds remaining in regulation and the Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team earned a huge victory over No. 8 Dodge City on Saturday at the DC3 Student Events Center.
Franklin's free throws created the 13th and final lead change and gave the Blue Dragons a thrilling 113-112 victory over the Conquistadors in the fourth-straight instant classic played in this series.
The Blue Dragons snapped a four-game losing streak, their longest in a decade, and improved to 9-5 overall and 3-5 in the Jayhawk Conference. The Blue Dragons close out the first semester of play at 7:30 p.m. on Monday against Colby at the Sports Arena. The Dragons also snapped Dodge City's 10-game winning streak. The Conquistadors are now 10-2 and 6-1 in the league.
The frantic final minute of regulation time started with Hutchinson taking a 111-110 lead on two Kernan Bundy free throws with 56 seconds remaining. Dodge City then committed a turnover with 41 seconds to play. The Dragons ran the shot clock under 10 seconds when Dodge City's Chris Robinson stole the ball and went the length of the floor for a layup to give the Conquistadors a 112-111 lead with 16 seconds to play.
The Dragons immediately raced the ball up the floor and got fouled as the final buzzer wounded. The officials put 0.4 seconds back on the clock. Franklin made the first free throw to tie the game and Dodge City called timeout. Franklin hit the second and Dodge City didn't get a desperation shot off before the buzzer sounded.
The Blue Dragons notched their second victory this season over a Top 10-ranked team. Hutchinson also defeated No. 7 Triton on November 4 at the Sports Arena.
Franklin led six Blue Dragons in double figures with 25 points. He posted his fourth double-double of the season with a game-high 10 rebounds. Franklin also had three steals.
Jayden Garrison hit a pair of 3-pointers and finished with 16 points on 7 of 13 shooting. Garrison added six rebounds.
Ra'Sean Frederick, who returned to the lineup after missing seven games, had career highs of 13 points and six rebounds and a career-high-tying four assists. Frederick hit two 3-pointers.
Bundy and Jackson Leyba scored 13 points each. Leyba was 7 of 8 from the foul line and he added two 3-point goals. Aaron Potter had 11 points.
The Blue Dragons shot 44.0 percent for the game (37 of 84), going 12 of 37 from 3-point range and 25 of 37 from the free-throw line. The Blue Dragons had a 43-27 rebounding advantage with 23 offensive boards. The Dragons also had 23 turnovers.
Dodge City shot 61.5 percent for the game (40 of 65), going 6 of 14 from 3-point range and 27 of 35 from the foul line. The Conquistadors had 21 turnovers.
Jason Edwards had 21 of his game-high 28 points in the second half. Shawn Warrior added 26 points.
The Blue Dragons got off to a tremendous start with a 12-2 lead after a Potter jumper with 17:52 to go in the half. Steele Gaston-Chapman hit a 3-pointer for a 15-6 lead with 16:48 to play. Dodge City pulled with 22-21, but the Blue Dragons countered with a 6-0 run to build a 28-21 lead on a Franklin layup with 11:34 to play in the half.
Dodge City once again closed within 32-29, but a 2-pointer and later a 3-pointer by Garrison pushed the Dragons back to a six-point lead at 37-31 with 7:25 to play. Leyba knocked down a corner 3-pointer to up the Dragon lead to eight at 42-34 with 6:43 remaining in the half. Garrison scored again and gave the Dragons a 50-37 lead with 4:51 to play.
The Conquistadors cut the Dragon lead to 52-49, but Garrison's 3-pointer with 3:13 to play thwarted at Dodge City surge. Dodge City eventually grabbed its first lead of 57-56 on a Warrior dunk with 1:28 to play in the half, but the Dragons answered right back with layups from Bundy and Franklin. Hutchinson lead 63-59 at halftime.
The Dragons upped their margin to eight points at 75-67 after an Antonio Green steal and dunk with 16:56 to play. The lead grew to nine at 80-71 on a Leyba 3-pointer with 15:59 remaining. The Dragons led 83-72, but Dodge City closed the gap with a 9-2 run and closed within 85-81.
Hutchinson maintained their lead and built it back to eight after a Franklin layup gave the Dragons a 94-86 lead with 10:24 left. Dodge City went on a 12-3 run and cut the Dragon lead to 97-94 with 7:34 to go. Bundy hit a 3-pointer with 7:09 remaining to get the Dragons to 100 points. Two Leyba free throws with 6:49 left increased the lead to 102-94.
Dodge City went on a 9-0 run and took a 103-102 lead on an Edwards 3-pointer with 4:53 to play. That sequence started a run of 10 lead changes and two ties in the final 5 minutes of the game.
GAME NOTES – The Dragons avoided the first five-game losing streak in 58 seasons. The last five-game skid came in the 1964-65 season. … The Dragons are now 124-67 all-time vs. Dodge City. … Head coach Tommy DeSalme moved with two wins of surpassing Randy Smithson for fifth place on the KJCCC coaching wins' list. … The Dragons registered their ninth 100-point game of the season, which is the fifth most in single-season history. … The Dragons had their eighth game of 10 or more 3-pointers and ninth game of 20 or more assists. … Franklin had his ninth game of 20 or more points this season. … The 63 points scored in the first half were the most in a half since the second half against Pratt on November 22.