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HCC Sports Information
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Sophomore Amanda Fessenden scored 16 points
to lead three Lady Dragons in double figures as the Hutchinson Community
College women’s basketball team passed its first test against a Jayhawk
Conference team in the John Ontjes era on Saturday night with an 80-64
victory over Labette in the final night of the 2007 Quarterback Classic at
the Sports Arena.
Fessenden finished shooting only 3 of 11 from
the field but knocked down 9 of 11 from the free-throw line to lead HCC
(2-0). Fessenden also had six rebounds and four steals.
Freshman Kylee Naccarato had 12 points and
five rebounds. Freshman Morgan Leatherbury was 4 of 4 from the field,
including 2 of 2 from long range to finish with 10 points. Sophomore Lanikia
Lawrence had nine points.
The Lady Dragons shot 25 of 55 overall (45.5
percent) and hit 5 of 15 3-point goals and 25 of 32 from the free-throw
line.
The Lady Dragons committed fewer fouls and
turnovers in the second half than in the first 20 minutes of the game, but
still committed 26 turnovers, which kept the game closer than it was. The
Lady Dragons outrebounded Labette 43-28, including 15-8 on the offensive
boards.
“I thought that was the difference in the
game,” HCC head coach John Ontjes said. “We boxed out and limited their
second-chance opportunities.”
Labette (1-1) shot 20 of 48 (41.7 percent)
from the field and was 3 of 8 from long range. The Cardinals stayed in the
game hitting 21 of 32 free throws and committed 30 turnovers in which HCC
scored 29 points.
Saysan Jones had 15 points to lead Labette.
Brittany Brown had 14 points and Dana Olson had 13 points for the Cardinals.
“I thought we played harder (than we did in
our first game),” Ontjes said. “I told the girls we needed to be more
physical, and defensively, I thought we were physical with them.”
It came with a price, as the officials
weren't letting anything go unnoticed. Both teams were called for a total of
27 fouls in the first half - HCC with 15. Labette was in the double bonus
with five minutes remaining in the half, yet HCC nearly doubled its lead –
from six points to 11 – in the final minutes of the half. That despite the
foul problems and 15 turnovers.
“Coach said we needed to start using our feet
instead of our hands (on defense),” Fessenden said, “and that we needed to
cherish the basketball and stop treating it like a hot potato.”
Alas, Labette didn't fare much better,
committing 26 fouls of its own while giving the ball up 29 times. And as HCC
tightened up its game in the second half and the flow of the game improved,
the Lady Dragons gradually built on their lead, getting up to as many as 21
points late in the game.
The Lady Dragons shot 50 percent (13 of 24)
and hit 13 of 16 free throws to build a 41-31 lead at halftime.
<HCC WOMEN-LABETTE
BOXSCORE> |
