MICKENS’ SEASON-HIGH 20 LEADS BLUE DRAGONS PAST COLBY

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

Sophomore Jada Mickens scored a season-high 20 points and the No. 4-ranked Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team maintained its one-game lead in the Jayhawk West with a decisive victory over the Colby Trojans on Saturday night at the Sports Arena.

The Blue Dragons shot 52.6 percent in a 98-56 win over the Trojans. The Blue Dragons are 12-0 in the Jayhawk West. Combined with Seward County's win over Barton on Saturday, Hutch maintains a one-game lead over the Saints.

Hutchinson improves to 21-0 overall. Colby falls to 8-12 overall and 3-9 in conference play. The Blue Dragons travel to Barton on Wednesday.

The Blue Dragons scored the first eight points of the game and then held the Trojans scoreless for 5 minutes, 4 seconds in building a 20-7 lead after one quarter. Hitting 10 of 14 shots in the second, the Blue Dragons extended their lead to 44-24 by halftime. Hutch then left no doubt with a 31-12 third quarter and led 75-36 after three period.

Mickens hit 10 of 12 shots to lead the Blue Dragons with 20 points. She added eight rebounds.

Sophomore Dejanae Roebuck moved into the Blue Dragon Top 20 in career scoring with an 18-point, six-rebound performance. Roebuck is now tied with Jasmine Patterson for 19th place on the career scoring list with 769 points.

Milan Schimmel was the only other Blue Dragon to score in double figures with 10 points, four assists and three rebounds. Keeley Tini finished with nine points and tied a career high with 12 rebounds.

Abby Ogle, Lauryn Mapusua and Makayla Johnson had eight points each.

The Blue Dragons were 40 of 76 shooting (52.6 percent) for the game. Hutch has a season low three 3-pointers on 14 attempts while going 15 of 23 from the foul line. Hutchinson dominated Colby 51-24 on the boards and dished out 28 assists.

Colby was limited to 36.8 percent shooting (21 of 57), going 6 of 12 from 3-point range and 11 of 16 from the foul line. Colby committed 18 turnovers.

Kaitlyn Guillory led the Trojans with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Jordan Dixon had 15 points and Kiara Knight had 11 points.

The Dragons started fast with an 8-0 run, holding Colby scoreless for the first 4:10 of the quarter. Leading 12-5, a bucket by Mickens, three Roebuck free throw and a Schimmel 3-pointer gave the Dragons a 20-5 lead with 1:17 to play in the opening quarter. Colby went scoreless again for 4:39 of the first quarter. Tamia Mobley scored with 1 second to play in the period to break that drought, but Hutch led 20-7 after one quarter.

Hutch shot 71.4 percent in the second half, but had trouble pulling away from Colby. The Dragons led 32-19 before back-to-back inside buckets by Roebuck and Ogle boosted the Hutch lead to 36-19 with 4:05 left. A Mapusua layup gave Hutch its first 20-point lead of the game at 42-21. Tini then scored in side with 20 second left to send the Blue Dragons into halftime with a 44-24 lead.

The Blue Dragons opened the second half on a 20-5 run to break the game open. Roebuck hit a pair of free throws to give the Dragons a 64-29 lead with 4:08 remaining in the third. Schimmel's second 3-pointer of the game moved the lead to 39 points at 71-32 with 2:10 left.

GAME NOTES – Hutch is now 49-14 all-time vs. Colby. … The 98 points scored are the third-most Hutch has scored against Colby in series history. … This was Blue Dragon all-time win No. 964. … The 31 points in the third quarter is the most scored in a third quarter by the Dragons this season and it's the fourth time Hutch has scored at least 30 in a quarter this season. … This was the sixth time this season Hutch has shot 50 percent or better in a game. … This was Hutch's sixth 90-plus point game this season. … This was Jada Mickens' fifth career 20-point game. .. Hutch has now held 19 opponents to less than 40 percent shooting.