AARON AND AARON (FRANKLIN AND POTTER) POWER DRAGONS PAST COWLEY

Aaron Potter goes up for one of his five career-high 3-point goals in a 22-point night to help the Blue Dragons to a 91-65 victory over the Cowley Tigers on Wednesday at the Sports Arena. (Sammi Carpenter/Blue Dragon Sports Information)

February 1, 2023

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

Aaron Franklin and Aaron Potter combined for 48 points and 11 3-point field goals as the Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team rebounded from two-straight tough losses in a big way with a dominant KJCCC win over the Cowley Tigers on Wednesday.

The Blue Dragons hit 13 3-point goals and held the Tigers to an opponent season-low offensive output in a 91-65 victory at the Sports Arena, splitting the season series with Cowley.

Hutchinson improved to 15-8 overall and 9-8 in the Jayhawk Conference. The Blue Dragons play host to Butler for Pink-Out Night at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Sports Arena. Cowley fells to 13-10 overall and 7-10 in league play.

After being held to a season-low 11 points on Saturday at Barton, Franklin returned to his league-leading scoring ways on Wednesday. Franklin had his 16th 20-point game of the season, scoring a game-high 28 points with eight rebounds and five assists. Franklin was 9 of 18 from the field, including 6 of 11 from 3-point range.

Potter posted career highs with 22 points, seven total field goals and 5 of 8 from the 3-point line. His first-half 3-pointer with 6:48 to play sparked a decisive 13-0 Dragon run that broke open a six-point game and gave Hutchinson a 35-17 lead with 3:47 to play in the opening half. Potter added a stretch of four 3-pointers over a span of 1 minute, 51 seconds in the second half to boost the Dragon advantage to 26 points at 82-54.

The Blue Dragons shot 48.5 percent for the game (33 of 68), hitting 13 of 32 3-pointers and 12 of 17 from the free-throw line. The Blue Dragons dominated the boards, out-rebounding Cowley 46-27 with 16 offensive rebounds. Hutchinson had 21 assists and only 15 turnovers.

Kieran Carr was the third Blue Dragon to score in double figures, finishing with a career-high-tying 13 points. Ra'Sean Frederick had nine points, Jayden Garrison had eight points and Steele Gaston-Chapman had seven points and five assists.

The Tigers shot 39.0 percent for the game (23 of 59), hitting only 3 of 19 from 3-point range and 16 of 18 from the free-throw line. The Tigers had 14 turnovers.

Xavier Washington had 15 points to lead Cowley. Leading scorer Nekhi Cameron was held to 12 points.

The Blue Dragons quickly erased an early six-point deficit with a quick 7-0 burst that was capped by a Dre Weathers' follow on a missed shot for a 12-11 lead with 13:35 to play in the first half.

With the game tied at 13-all, Franklin had back-to-back possessions of an inside hoop and a 3-pointer to give the Dragons an 18-13 lead. Two Frederick free throws and a Carr field goal upped the Dragons lead to 22-15.

Potter then hit a 3-pointer with 6:48 to play in the quarter, which sparked a 13-0 Blue Dragon run to push the Dragon lead to double figures. Weathers' dunk and Gaston-Chapman's layup capped the run and gave the Blue Dragons a 35-17 lead with 3:47 left in the half.

Franklin scored inside with 16 seconds to play to give the Blue Dragons a 45-28 lead at halftime.

Leading 56-36, the Dragons had a 7-0 surge with a Frederick score in the paint, a Potter three-point play and another Weathers dunk for a 63-36 lead with 12:44 to go. Cowley spent the next 5 minutes whittling the Dragon lead to 17 at 69-62 after a Xavier Washington layup with 8:40 remaining.

Potter then took care of any fears of a Cowley comeback as he went off for back-to-back 3-pointers and four treys in a span of 1 minute, 51 seconds to boost the Dragon advantage to 82-54 with 6:37 to play in the game.

The Dragons had a game-high 31-point lead late after a Gaston-Chapman bucket gave Hutchinson an 89-58 lead with 3:07 to go.

GAME NOTES – This was all-time Blue Dragon win No. 1,889. … The Blue Dragons are now 88-47 all-time vs. Cowley, including 41-14 in games played in Hutchinson. … The 26-point margin of victory over Cowley is the largest in the series since a 26-point win over the Tigers in the 2003 Jayhawk Shootout in Coffeyville. … This was Hutchinson's 29th game in the Tommy DeSalme era with 10 or more 3-pointers, and it was the 15th this season. … The plus-19 rebounding margin was the third-best for the Dragons this season. … Cowley's 28 points in the first half was an opponent season-low this season. … The Dragons are 9-3 in the Sports Arena this season. … This was Potter's second game of the season with four or more 3-pointers. … Gaston-Chapman had his fifth game with five or more assists. … Franklin posted his 12th game with eight or more rebounds.