LATE FIRST HALF SURGE SENDS DRAGONS TO WIN OVER RAVENS

Valentino Simon posts a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds in the No. 17 Blue Dragons' 92-78 win over Coffeyville on Saturday in Coffeyville. (Billy Watson/Blue Dragon Sports Information)

January 13, 2024

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

COFFEYVILLE – Kamryn Thomas hit four 3-point goals in a key 26-6 first-half run by the Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team that was a key stretch in the No. 17 Blue Dragons' 92-78 Jayhawk Conference road victory over the Coffeyville Red Ravens on Saturday at Nellis Hall.

The Blue Dragons improved to 5-0 in true road games this season and won their fourth in a row and 10 wins in the last 11 games.

Hutchinson is now 14-2 overall and 9-1 in the Jayhawk Conference. The Blue Dragons play host to No. 9 Barton at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the Sports Arena. Coffeyville is now 8-8 overall and 4-6 in league play.

Thomas scored 18 of his career-high 25 points in the first half. The Blue Dragon sophomore was 4 of 5 from 3-point range in the opening 20 minutes as Hutchinson outscored Coffeyville 53-30.

A majority of Thomas' first-half damage occurred in Hutchinson's 26-6 run over a span of 7 minutes, 36 seconds. The Blue Dragons trailed 18-17 with 9:54 to go. Zoe Holman scored in the paint to get the lead back for Hutchinson just 20 seconds later.

Then Thomas started to bomb away. His 3-pointer with 5:56 left capped a run of 12 unanswered Hutchinson points for a 29-18 lead. His second trey with 4:13 to play upped the Dragon lead to 35-21. Thomas then drilled back-to-back long 3-pointers to cap the 26-6 run and give Hutchinson a 50-26 lead with 1:12 to play in the half.

Thomas finished the game hitting 10 of 13 overall shot attempts, including 5 of 6 from distance to lead a Blue Dragon attack that shot 56.1 percent for the game (37 of 66). The Dragons hit 11 of 22 from 3-point range.

Valentino Simon posted his fourth double-double of the season with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Simon was 6 of 11 from the field.

J.P. Ricks scored in double figures for the first time in five games with 14 points. Kernan Bundy had nine points and Dallas Whitney added seven.

The Blue Dragons outrebounded Coffeyville 35-26 and had only 11 turnovers.

Jahni Summers had a game-high 26 points to lead Coffeyville. Brian Griffith had 19 and Cris Carroll had 16 points. The Red Ravens shot 50.0 percent (29 of 58), including 17 of 29 in the second half.

Before the late first half surge by Hutchinson, the game had five lead changes and four ties.

Trailing 11-9, a Dre Weathers putback with 13:58 left tied the game at 11-all. The Raven immediately regained the lead with two Griffith free throws. The Dragons scored five unanswered to capture the lead after a Bundy 3-pointer and Ricks' layup gave Hutchinson a 17-13 lead. Coffeyville answered that with a 5-0 run and led 18-17 after a Summers 3-pointer with 9:18 to play in the half.

Holman scored on the next Hutchinson possession to light the fuse on a 26-6 run. The Blue Dragons used that run to build a 53-30 halftime lead, shooting 61.8 percent (21 of 34) in the opening 20 minutes

The first 6 minutes of the second half saw the Red Ravens whittle that 23-point lead down to 12 after Griffith scored to cut the Dragon lead to 58-46 with 14:35 to play. Hutchinson answered that challenge and build the lead back to 70-52 after a Bundy 3-pointer with 11:10 remaining.

Coffeyville made other small runs as the Blue Dragons, but they were stopped at every Raven opportunity. The closest Coffeyville got in the second half was 12 at 86-74 with 3:22 remaining.

GAME NOTES – The Blue Dragons are now 32-28 all-time against Coffeyville, including 9-12 in Coffeyville. … Blue Dragon head coach Tommy DeSalme earned his 60th win with the Blue Dragons. … The was all-time win No. 1,908. … Kobe Smith tied a career high with four rebounds. … The Blue Dragons have allowed an average of 57.5 points per game in their last four games. … This was the third-straight game and sixth overall this season the Blue Dragons have shot 50 percent or better. … Valentino Simon surpassed the career 700-point mark with 702 points combined between Hutchinson and Southwest Virginia. … This was Simon's 23rd career double-double. … Edwin Daniel made his first career start and finished with four points and three rebounds.