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By Bret Mitchell
HCC Sports
Information
Saturday, January
26, 2008
The
Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team turned in one of the
best defensive performances in program history on Saturday night in a 65-27
Jayahwk Conference Western Division victory over Garden City at the Sports
Arena.
The
27 points allowed tied for the 10th-fewest points ever for the Lady Dragons
and the sixth-fewest points ever allowed by the HCC women in a Jayhawk West
contest. The Lady Dragons (17-4, 6-1 Jayhawk West) held Garden City to a
season-low offensive output and shooting percentage.
The
27 points allowed was a defensive season low for the Lady Dragons. HCC held
the Broncbusters to a defensive season-low 12.7 percent shooting (7 of 55).
The seven made field goals tied a defensive season low for the Lady Dragons.
This
was the fewest points that Garden City has ever scored in the all-time
series against Hutchinson (64 games).
“We
did a good job defensively, and we rebounded better tonight,” Lady Dragon
head coach John Ontjes said. “Our defensive intensity and focus were the
keys.”
Garden City committed 27 turnovers and the Lady Dragons were able to score
33 points from those miscues.
HCC
set the defensive tone right away, holding Garden City scoreless for the
first 5 minuets, 59 seconds of the contest. The Busters’ second field goal
didn’t come until the 7:27 mark of the first half. Garden City started off
the game missing 19 of its first 21 shot attempts. The Busters opened the
second half with a scoreless drought of 4 minutes, 42 seconds and were an
ice-cold 3 of 29 shooting in the second half.
Offensively, the Lady Dragons shot 50 percent or better for the second time
in three games and for the fifth time this season, shooting 28 of 53 overall
(52.8 percent). Hutch shot 61.5 percent (16 of 26) in the second half.
The
Lady Dragons were 6 of 13 from 3-point range, but struggled from the
free-throw line, shooing a season-worst 3 of 11 from the lone.
HCC
was led by sophomore Fairen Lepaio’s 13 points. This is the second time this
season that Lepaio has led the Lady Dragons in scoring, sinking 6 of 9 shot
attempts. Sophomore Amanda Fessenden chipped in 12 points, knocking down
three 3-pointers. Sophomore Lanikia Lawrence scored in double figures for
the first time in nine games, tying her season high with 10 points.
“Practice makes perfect, but we could have done better from the free throw
line,” Lawrence said.
Eleven different Lady Dragons scored in the game.
Garden City (7-14, 2-5) was led by Katie Novack and Amber Brown with seven
points each. Whitnie Brown had six points. The Busters were 11 of 17 from
the free-throw line.
HCC
jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first six minutes before Garden City finally
scored. HCC then reeled off 14 unanswered points and led 21-2 after freshman
Lauren Sparks’ 3-pointer with 7:57 to play.
Hutchinson then suffered one of two offensive lulls, going nearly 2 ˝
minutes without scoring. Garden City pulled within 12 after a pair of Young
free throws to top off a 7-0 run. But a Brittany Hines layup and a Fessenden
3-pointer stopped the Buster run and HCC led 30-16 at halftime.
Sophomore Amber Schroer scored the first points of the second half, and
Kylee Naccarato followed with the next four, giving the Lady Dragons their
first 20-point lead, 36-16, with 16:42 remaining. After that, the Lady
Dragons went scoreless for the next 3 minutes, 19 seconds. Brown helped the
Broncbusters score the next six points to pull within 36-22 with 14:14 to
play.
The
Lady Dragons then buried Garden City with a 14-0 run, capped off by three
layups for a 50-22 lead with 8:25 left in the game. HCC held Garden City to
just five points over the final 14 minutes of the game.
The
resounding victory came at a good time for the Lady Dragons, who were trying
to bounce back from a 62-50 home loss to Barton County.
“We
wanted to redeem ourselves and show our home crowd what we really can do,”
Fessenden said.
Hutchinson
will travel to first-place Cloud County on Wednesday. The Thunderbirds are
ranked No. 8 in the latest NJCAA women’s poll.
GAME NOTES
– The last time that HCC surrendered only 27 points came in 1976 when the
Lady Dragons defeated Cloud County 43-27. … Garden City grabbed 11 offensive
rebounds to just four for Hutchinson, but the Broncbusters could not convert
those into any second chance points. … Fessenden’s 12 points moved her into
the HCC career Top 20 scoring list, passing Cindy Platt. Fessenden now has
688 points. … The Lady Dragon bench did not waste the extra opportunities
provided in the blowout, scoring 40 of the 65 points. … The previous low for
points scored against the Dragons was 28, by Neosho County in December. …
Lauren Sparks saw her streak of double-figure scoring games come to an end
at six.
<HCC WOMEN-GARDEN CITY BOXSCORE>
<HCC-GARDEN CITY PHOTO GALLERY>
OTHER QUOTES
Head Coach John Ontjes
On
the defensive game plan …
“We
felt like we needed to double down on their post, and then be able to rotate
and not let them drive. We wanted to take away the drive first, and let
them prove that they could make some perimeter baskets.”
On
the effort …
“We
were focused. It was sloppy at times, but the key to it is we came out with
the victory. We got some momentum going into Cloud on Wednesday.
On
the turnovers …
“Our
passing skills have got to improve, 25 turnovers is just too many. Can’t
win a league championship averaging 21 turnovers a game.”
Sophomore Guard Amanda Fessenden
On
the defense …
“Defense wins games, defense leads to good offense. We struggled to execute
at times, but defense is what gets your offense going.”
On
the turnovers …
“They
got up in our face and pressured us pretty well. We have to learn that more
teams will do that to us.”
Sophomore Guard Lanikia Lawrence
On
the pressure …
“Their full court press was kind of difficult to break.” |
