|
By Steve Carpenter
HCC Sports Information Director
Saturday, February 23, 2008
GREAT BEND – The Barton County Cougars did
something on Saturday night to the Hutchinson Community College men’s
basketball team that no opponent has done in 33 games – shoot 50 percent.
The Cougars were sizzling all night, burying
the Blue Dragons with 13 3-point goals in a 97-75 rout of Hutchinson at the
Barton County Gym.
The loss dropped Hutchinson (21-7, 11-3
Jayhawk West) back into a first-place tie with Seward County with two games
to play. HCC has games remaining at Garden City on Wednesday and at home
next Saturday with Cloud County.
Chris Jackson was 7 of 7 from 3-point range
and finished with 25 points to lead Barton County (21-7, 9-6). Jackson’s
seven treys were an opponent’s individual high against HCC this season.
Qa’rraan Jackson also scored 25 points as Barton County shot 37 of 71 (52.1
percent) in the game and a red-hot 13 of 18 (72.2 percent) from 3-point
range to hand the Dragons their worst margin of loss this season.
“I have never played against a team that made
that many threes,” HCC sophomore guard Bobby Maze said. “They did a great
job. The shot the ball as well as I have ever seen it. Their balls were just
swishing right through the net. We started off good. Once they got the
momentum, they couldn’t miss a shot. I never saw anything like that.”
Maze had 29 points to lead Hutchinson on 10
of 18 shooting from the floor and 9 of 12 from the free-throw line.
Sophomore Ken Bowman was the only other Blue Dragon in double figures with
10 points, eight rebounds and floor blocked shots. Sophomore Lamar Falley
added eight points. HCC was missing freshman Antonio Weary, who missed the
game with an injury.
The Blue Dragons shot 29 of 66 overall (43.9
percent) and just 3 of 15 from long range. HCC was 14 of 23 from the
free-throw line. Hutch committed 19 turnovers, but outrebounded Barton
County 42-38.
Sandy Perry added 18 points for Barton County
and Chip Steven hit 4 of 5 from 3-point range to finish with 16 points. The
Cougars had just 14 turnovers.
“We got the game started the way we wanted
to,” HCC head coach Ryan Swanson said. “We were up 15-8 and we went to our
bench. The guys that came in let them go on a big-time run and they got the
momentum and we could never get it back. You have to give a lot of credit to
Barton the way they shot the ball.”
The Blue Dragons got off to a nice start
jumping out to a 15-8 lead after a Bowman basket with 15:23 to play in the
first half. The Dragons then went scoreless for the next 3 minutes, 26
seconds and without a field goal for the next 5:38. Barton County went on an
11-0 run to take the lead on Nykia Williams’ bucket with 13:36 to play.
Leading 23-22 with 9:27 to play, the Cougars
hit six 3-pointers in a 28-11 run to close the half. Barton County shot 20
of 36 (55.6 percent) and sank 7 of 10 3-pointers to lead 51-33 at halftime.
The Dragons never threatened in the second
half, getting as close as 16 points in the second half, that coming on Blake
Bales’ hoop, which was the first score of the second half. Barton County’s
biggest lead of the game was 28 points at 92-64.
The Blue Dragons travel to Garden City on
Wednesday for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff at the Perryman Athletic Complex.
GAME NOTES
– Ken Bowman moved up to sixth place on HCC’s single-season blocked shot
list with 56. He has 97 for his career. … This was Bobby Maze’s sixth game
of 29 points or more this season. … Barton County’s 97 points tied for the
most allowed by HCC this season (Hamilton College on Nov. 1). … Sophomore
Henry Rogers had his fifth-straight game of nine or more rebounds.
<HCC
MEN-BARTON COUNTY BOXSCORE>
OTHER QUOTES
Head coach Ryan Swanson
On not having Antonio Weary …
Peanut is a huge part of our team. He’s kind
of the heartbeat of it. We hope to get him back healthy. We are a better
team when he’s on the floor.
Freshman Sam Edwards
On Barton County’s shooting …
We could have played defense, but they hit a
lot of shots. We had bad transition defense and our heads weren’t into it
defensively tonight. They took advantage of it.
Sophomore Bobby Maze
On not having Antonio Weary …
Peanut would have made a difference, but the
way they were shooting threes, it was going to be tough to beat them. |
