BLUE DRAGONS DROP HEARTBREAKER IN REGION VI SEMIS

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

PARK CITY – Now the waiting game begins for the Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team.

Butler's Jalise Smallwood hit the second of two free throws with 0.6 seconds to play and the Blue Dragons weren't able to get a miracle shot off as the Jayhawk East champion Grizzlies stunned No. 8 Hutchinson 61-60 in the semifinals of the Region VI Tournament on Monday at Hartman Arena.

The Blue Dragons are now 30-3 and will have to wait one week until the NJCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament Selection Show to see if they will receive one of the eight at-large bids. Butler (28-4), which defeated Hutchinson for the first time in the Region VI Tournament, will play in the championship game at 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

Hutchinson came out hot from 3-point range, hitting 5 of 6 from deep to lead 26-13 after the first quarter. The shots stopped falling after that as the Dragons were only 2 of 13 from the field in the second quarter as the teams were tied 32-all at halftime. The Dragons went scoreless for 5 minutes, 58 seconds and trailed 32-28. Lauryn Mapusua hit a 3-pointer and Milan Schimmel added a free throw to tie the game at 32.

Hutch led 43-42 after three quarters, but Butler opened the fourth quarter on an 8-2 run to lead 51-45 after two Criste'On free throws with 5:23 remaining. Back came the Blue Dragons with consecutive Makayla Vannett 3-point goals to knot the score at 51 with 4:19 to play. Vannett dropped her third trey of the quarter with 3:07 to play to give Hutch a 54-53 lead.

With Butler leading 56-54 with 2:11 to go, Abby Ogle hit a layup and then sank four-straight free throws on subsequent possessions to give Hutch a 60-56 lead with 1:07 to play. Kyla Callins hit a jumper in the lane with 58 seconds left. Smallwood hit two free throws with 22 seconds left to tie the game. The Dragons committed two straight turnovers and Smallwood was at the line with 0.6 seconds left. She missed the first, but hit the second for a 61-60 lead.

Vannett hit 4 of 11 3-pointers to finish with 14 points to lead Hutchinson. She now has 79 3-poiners for the season to move into sole possession of third place on the Blue Dragon freshman list and tied Shannon Boor for eighth on the single-season 3-point list.

Dejanae Roebuck finished with 10 points. Ogle had six points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals.

The Blue Dragons shot 35.8 percent for the game (19 of 53). The Dragons were 10 of 31 from 3-point range. After starting 5 of 6, the Dragons missed 17 of the next 18 before hitting 4 of the final 8 3-point attempts. Hutch was 12 of 17 from the foul line.

Butler was 17 of 52 from the field (32.7 percent), hitting 7 of 24 from 3-point range and 20 of 26 from the foul line. Butler out-rebounded the Blue Dragons 37-34.

Callins had 15 points to lead the Grizzlies. Taylor Burch hit 4 of 9 3-pointers to score 12 points and Smallwood hit 9 of 11 free throws to score 11 points.

GAME NOTES – The Blue Dragons are now 61-35 all-time in the Region VI Tournament, including 9-8 in the semifinals. … The Dragons are now 56-31 all-time against Butler and 3-1 against the Grizzlies in the Region VI Tournament. … The 2019 Blue Dragons are now eighth all-time in total field goals (513) and ninth in assists (633).