Hutch women win Region VI title with late surge

There was a palpable shift after Bride Kennedy-Hopoate, Hutchinson’s leading scorer to that point, went to the bench with four fouls late in Wednesday’s third quarter.

The shift wasn’t in momentum toward Seward County, but in the focus of Hutchinson’s offense.

The Blue Dragons became three-point specialists, making six in the second half, rendering Kennedy-Hopoate’s strengths unnecessary in their 65-44 win at Hartman Arena. Hutchinson made four threes during an 18-0 run that decided the game.

No. 2 Hutchinson (33-1) captured the Region VI championship, advancing to the NJCAA women’s basketball tournament on a 31-game winning streak. Guard Brenna McClure, who missed her first two three-pointers, made four straight in the second half to help Hutchinson pull away.

No. 4 Seward (32-2), the only team to beat Hutchinson, lost to the Blue Dragons for the second time.

“In order for us to win the game, we were going to have to make some threes because of the type of defense they do play,” Hutchinson coach John Ontjes said. “We were fortunate that Brenna stepped up and hit (four) big threes in the second half.”

Before Kennedy-Hopoate’s third-quarter exit, it appeared her matchup with Seward’s 6-foot-8 center Joanna Grymek could determine the outcome. Grymek also battled foul trouble and Kennedy-Hopoate tied for the Hutch lead with 10 points when she picked up her fourth foul.

The focus on inside play kept the game low-scoring and close into the fourth quarter. Seward’s last lead was 30-28 in the third quarter, but Hutchinson scored the next nine points and led 46-38 after three.

The Blue Dragons’ perimeter barrage had already begun then with threes from McClure and Taylor Stahly. It continued into the fourth, where Hutchinson scored the first 16 points, as McClure connected for two more and Lakin Preisner had one.

“Not forcing too many outside shots and trying to work it inside still,” McClure said of Hutchinson’s philosophy without Kennedy-Hopoate. “Inside-out instead of more inside. We tried to do more of both instead of just kicking it inside.”

McClure also had the greatest defensive impact for Hutchinson. She guarded Mollie Mounsey, the Jayhawk Conference player of the year, and held her to 11 points on 4-of-19 shooting.

Mounsey missed 10 of her 11 three-point attempts and never factored into a game that was in doubt until the fourth quarter.

“Don’t let her catch,” McClure said. “Taylor (Stahly) is another one who guarded her, and she did such a great job. She didn’t let (Mounsey) catch it, and the help that we got from our other teammates was great, as well.”

All but two of Hutchinson’s 31 wins during the current streak have been by double digits, but they’ve rarely been so methodical. Hutchinson’s first double-digit lead didn’t come until the fourth quarter, and the Blue Dragons trailed in each of the first three.

But the defense never faltered and the offense came around without one of its best players, instead finding a different strength to exploit.

“We really showed tonight what I think our ballclub is made of,” Ontjes said. “Our backbone is how well we play defensively. It creates offense for us, and to hold Seward to 44 points, you had to do a lot of things right defensively.”

This story was originally published March 8, 2017 at 8:15 PM with the headline "Hutch women win Region VI title with late surge."