JACKSON DOUBLE-DOUBLE LEADS NO. 1 DRAGONS PAST COLBY

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

Sophomore Hailey Jackson posted her fifth double-double of the season to power the No. 1-ranked Hutchinson Community College Women's Basketball team to a 38-point victory over the Colby Trojans on Tuesday in the Blue Dragons' first home game since November 9.

The Blue Dragons sank a season-high 11 3-pointers and held Colby 32 points under its season scoring average as Hutchinson cruised to a 75-37 KJCCC victory over the Trojans, it's 20th consecutive win over Colby.

Hutchinson (9-0, 3-0 KJCCC) extended its program-record winning streak to 46 games, its KJCCC winning streak to 31 games and its home-court winning streak to 21 games. Colby is now 6-3 overall, 1-2 in the KJCCC. The Blue Dragons travel to Independence for a 2 p.m. game on Saturday at the ICC Fieldhouse.

Jackson scored 19 of her game-high 24 points in a first half where Hutchinson built a 41-11 lead by halftime. Jackson was 6 of 16 shooting, but hit two 3-pointers and went a career-best 10 of 10 from the free-throw line. Jackson tied career highs of 14 rebounds and four steals.

Defensively, the Dragons limited Colby to just 26.0 percent shooting for the game (13 of 50). The Trojans were 4 of 24 in the first half, including 0 of 10 in the second quarter. The Dragons forced 23 turnovers, outscoring Colby 24-7 in points off turnovers.

Freshman Katie Duncan scored a season-high 12 points with a season-high 3 of 6 shooting from 3-point range. Sophomore Landon Forbes finished with 10 points, four assists and a career-high five steals.. Freshman Dylan Alexander had 10 points and a season-high four steals.

Sophomore Brynne Katcher closed with eight points and nine rebounds.

The Blue Dragons were 24 of 64 (37.5 percent), hitting 11 of 27 from 3-point range and 16 of 19 from the free-throw line. The Dragons owned a 46-36 rebounding advantage and had 15 assists and 16 steals to 14 turnovers.

Colby shot only 26.0 percent (13 of 50), going 2 of 13 from the 3-point line and 9 of 15 from the foul line.

Jera Kruleski had eight points on 1 of 9 shooting to lead the Trojans. Easha Potts had six points.

The Blue Dragons trailed early 4-2 and went on an 11-0 run to quickly take control of the game. Duncan hit a 3-pointer and Jackson hit a pair of free throws to cap the run for a 13-4 lead with 4:02 to play in the opening quarter. The Dragons closed the quarter with a Katcher 3-pointer and transition layups from Alexander and Forbes for a 7-0 run and 22-9 lead after the first quarter.

Potts hit two free throws at the 8:52 mark of the second quarter to pull Colby within 22-11. The Blue Dragons closed the half on a 19-0 run holding the Trojans scoreless on 0 of 10 shooting for the final 8:52 of the quarter. Jackson's layup with four second to play gave the Dragons a 41-11 halftime lead.

Overall, the Blue Dragons held Colby without a field goal for 13 minutes, 36 seconds.

Kahlen Norris' three-point play with 7:49 left in the third quarter opened the lead to as wide as 30 points for the first time in the game at 44-13. A 10-0 run later in the third quarter boosted the Hutchinson lead to 54-15 after at Katcher layup with 3:47 remaining in the quarter.

The Dragons held Colby without a field goal for the final 4:39 of the game, opening a 29-point lead into a 38-point lead at the final buzzer.

GAME NOTES – Hailey Jackson is the first Blue Dragon with 10 or more free throws in a single game since Kiki Smith had 10 free throws against Butler on February 17, 2024 … This was career win No. 492 for head coach John Ontjes. … The Dragons are 60-14 all-time vs. Colby, including 31-7 at the Sports Arena. … This was the eighth game this season where the Blue Dragons have forced 20 or more opponent turnovers. … Colby's two points in the second quarter and 11 points in the first half were opponent season lows.