Slow Start Troubles Cloud County Women in Home Loss to #11 Hutchinson

A 23-9 hole after one-quarter of play would be a bit too large for the Cloud County Community College women's basketball team to dig out of against number-11 nationally-ranked Hutchinson Community College in a 77-50 home defeat inside Arley Bryant Gymnasium on Wednesday, December 6th.

Ending a stretch of games that saw each of Cloud County's last five opponents either be ranked or receiving votes in the NJCAA Division I Top-25 poll at the time of the game, the T-Birds fall to 6-5 overall and 2-4 in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference with the defeat while the Blue Dragons remain perfect on the season and improve to 11-0 overall and 5-0 in the KJCCC.

The first-quarter deficit would see Hutchinson come out and hit two threes in the opening 2:24 of the game to build a 6-0 advantage before a pair of Darcy Lierz free throws that would get CCCC on the board and be two of just seven made free throw attempts for Cloud County in the game. Battling their way back from another six-point deficit by getting an open Destiny Smith triple and Maimouna Sissoko layup to pull within one at 8-7 with 4:30 left in the quarter, Cloud County would see Hutchinson respond by scoring the next 10 points to take their first double-digit lead of the game and end the quarter by outscoring CCCC 15-2.

Cutting into the 14-point hole with a made three by Bailey Burns to open the scoring in the second quarter, Cloud County would quickly get back within single digits following a made offensive put back from Lierz to make things a 23-14 contest as the first 6:26 of the quarter would go without a point from HCC. The Blue Dragons would see the T-Birds cut the lead down to just five after opening the period by scoring the first 11 points that would be capped off by a Sarah Lawless fast break layup to make it a 23-18 game before a Hailey Jackson three-point play would end the Cloud County run and start a 12-0 Hutchinson run to give the Blue Dr their largest lead of the first half at 34-18. Needing to try and stop the momentum with just 1:20 remaining before halftime, Cloud County would get a made Josephine Igherighe triple before allowing a pair of HCC free throws that would nearly offset the scoring by the T-Birds with Hutchinson holding a 36-21 lead heading into halftime.

For as problematic as the first half was for Cloud County, things wouldn't fare much better in the second half as Hutchinson would outscore the T-Birds 7-3 in the opening two minutes of the third quarter to extend their lead to 43-24 before eventually pushing past the 20-point mark with just over six minutes left in the period. Five quick points from Smith would give CCCC some momentum briefly as the deficit would be brought back down to 16 at 50-34 before seeing an 8-2 Blue Dragon run push things right back out to a 58-36 Hutchinson lead. The two teams would trade the final nine points of the quarter with Cloud County outscoring HCC 5-4 but still trail by 21 as things headed into the fourth.

Continuing to add to their lead, Hutchinson would the T-Birds to just four points in the first five minutes of the final quarter as the Blue Dragons would take their largest lead of the game at 77-48 with 2:06 left in the contest. The rest of the way would see just two total points scored with Bryanna Simmonds working her way into the scorebook with a layup in the final 30 seconds as Cloud County would avoid being held under 50 points for the first time since last year's season finale against Barton.

Limited to a 28.8 percent (19-of-66) field goal percentage, Cloud County would hit on five-of-20 (25.0 percent) three-point attempts while outrebounding Hutchinson 46-44 in the contest while seeing HCC go 31-of-66 (47.0 percent) from the floor and six-of-20 (30.0 percent) from beyond the arc. The Blue Dragons would outscore CCCC 15-4 in points off turnovers and 22-2 in fast break points while the T-Birds held an 11-4 advantage in second-chance points.

Both Smith (11) and Igherighe (10) would reach double-figures for Cloud County with Igherighe adding nine rebounds and three assists on a night that would see CCCC turn the ball over 15 times. Sissoko would grab a team-high 11 rebounds and add eight points as 42 of Cloud County's 50 points would come from their starting five. Hutchinson was led by a game-high 26 from Kiki Smith while Jackson joined her in double-figures with 11.

What's Next?
One final game before a three-plus week layoff will come on Sunday, December 10th when Cloud County travels to West to Colby for a 2 PM matchup with the Trojans. Colby is 4-6 overall this season and 0-5 in the KJCCC after dropping a 67-45 road decision on Wednesday evening against Pratt with their last win coming on November 14th against Southwestern College JV. All four wins for Colby this season have come against JV squads from four-year colleges.