1st place on the line

GAME 18 - No. 3 Hutchinson (17-0, 3-0) vs. Cloud County (12-6, 3-0)

Date: Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Tipoff: 5:30 p.m.

Site: Hutchinson Sports Arena, Hutchinson, KS (Capacity: 7,000)

Radio: KHUT-FM (102.9), KWBW-AM/FM (1450/89.5), 5:20 p.m. Glen Grunwald (PBP); Rusty Hilst (analyst)

Internet Video, Live Stats: Blue Dragon Sports Network, 5:20 p.m.

Twitter: @bluedragonsport

Tickets: $7 reserved; $5 gen. admission

Promotion: Chili and Pie Feed (5-7 p.m.)

FIRST PLACE IN JAYHAWK WEST ON THE LINE IN HCC WOMEN'S MATCHUP WITH T-BIRDS

The No. 3 nationally ranked Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team will look to take sole possession of first place in the Jayhawk West as the Lady Dragons take on rival Cloud County on Wednesday at the Sports Arena.

Tipoff between the two remaining undefeated teams in the Jayhawk West will be at 5:30 p.m. The game will be videostreamed on the Blue Dragon Sports Network and broadcast live on Blue Dragon flagship station KHUT-FM (102.9) and sister stations KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5) beginning at 5:20 p.m.

The annual Blue Dragon Chili and Ice Cream Feed will precede the game at 5 p.m. in the Sports Arena small gym.

Hutchinson (17-0) and Cloud County (12-6) are tied atop the Jayhawk West standings at 3-0. Wednesday's winner will take sole possession of first place a little more than a quarter of the into the conference season.

The Lady Dragons earned a key victory on Saturday by traveling to and defeating No. 9 Seward County 61-55 for their 18th consecutive victory. Sophomore Jen'Von'Ta Hill paced the Lady Dragons with 22 points, a career-high 15 rebounds and five assists.

After starting the season 5-4, Cloud County has won 7 of 9, including five consecutive games with Jayhawk West victories over Dodge City, Pratt and Barton on Saturday in Concordia.

HCC's conference-leading defense will face another strong inside presence in Cloud County's Jordyn Alexander, who shoots nearly 57 percent and averages 18.2 points/game.

Noting The Lady Dragons

+ Coming off season lows in several offensive categories on Saturday in the victory over Seward County, the Lady Dragons continue to rank high league statistics. Overall, HCC ranks third in the Jayhawk West in scoring average at 81.5 points per game. HCC is shooting 45.9 percent (2nd in KJCCC West), 34.9 percent from 3-point range (2nd in West) and 64.8 percent from the foul line (5th in West).

+ Defensively, Hutchinson continues to be dominant. The Lady Dragons are allowing a Jayhawk West-low 46.1 points per game. The Lady Dragons are No. 1 in the West in defensive field-goal percentage (27.3 percent) and 3-point defense (23.0 percent).

+ In three games of conference play, the Lady Dragons 75.0 points per game, shooting 46.6 percent overall, 46.7 percent (14 of 30) from 3-point range and 64.3 percent from the foul line. Defensively in league play, HCC is allowing 46.0 points per game with opponents shooting 28.1 percent overall and 21.9 percent from long range.

+ HCC is averaging 5.18 made 3-pointers per game, third in the Jayhawk West.

+ Sophomore Jamie Patrick is HCC's leading scorer at 18.1 points per contest, which is fourth in the Jayhawk West. Patrick is shooting 54.3 percent overall (seventh in the West). She ranks second in the league in 3-point percentage at 41.0 percent and is second in made 3's (2.00/game). She is shooting 77.6 percent, climbing to fourth in the league. Patrick is averaging 6.06 rebounds per game. Patrick is ninth in the Jayhawk West in steals at 1.88 per game. Patrick is averaging 14.0 points per game.

+ Freshman Kalani Purcell is second on the team and is 13th in the Jayhawk West in scoring at 12.1 points per game. Purcell is shooting 46.7 percent from the field. She leads the Lady Dragons and ranks third in the Jayhawk West in rebounding at 9.35 boards per game. Purcell leads the league in steals (4.12/game) and is fifth in blocks (1.24/game).

+ Sophomore point guard Jen'Von'Ta Hill comes off a spectacular game where she had 22 points and a career-best 15 rebounds vs. Seward County. Hill is scoring 9.8 points per game. She is shooting 32.7 percent overall, 25.0 percent from 3-point range and 60.5 percent from the foul line. Hill leads the league in assists at 5.88 per game and is ranked fifth in steals at 2.65 per game.

+ Sophomore Kiarra Jones is sixth in the Jayhawk West in field-goal percentage at 56.3 percent. She averaging 8.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.

+ Sophomore Briana Starks is averaging 8.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. She is averaging 11.7 points and 6.7 rebounds in conference play.

+ Freshman Shakira Harding has climbed to averages of 7.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists. Harding is scoring 4.3 points per game in league play.

+ Freshman Chelsea Dewey is averaging 7.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists off the bench.

+ The Lady Dragons are second in rebounding in the Jayhawk West at 51.4 rebounds per game. They have 12 games of 50 or more rebounds this season, which includes a season-high 61 rebounds against Mesa. HCC also leads the league in rebounding margin at plus-18.82. HCC allows 33.0 rebounds per contest

+ The Lady Dragons are averaging a league-best 20.8 assists per game.

+ Turnovers have been an issue for HCC so far this season. The Lady Dragons are turning the ball over 17.8 times per game, while forcing 22.6 turnovers per game. Shockingly, opponents haven't been able to take full advantage of the Lady Dragon miscues. The first 16 opponents have averaged only 10.0 points off HCC turnovers per game. HCC has a league-best plus-5.5 turnover margin.

+ Hutchinson leads the Jayhawk West in team steals at 13.47 steals per game.

+ The Lady Dragons are second in the West in blocked shots at 4.06 rejections per game.

Scouting Cloud County

+ Over their five-game winning streak, Cloud County is averaging 82.2 points per game while allowing 65.6 points per game.

+ The Thunderbirds, who won the NJCAA Division I national championship in 2001, rank sixth in the Jayhawk West at 78.7 points per game. The T-Birds rank fifth in field-goal percentage at 42.7 percent and fifth from 3-point range at 25.8 percent. Cloud County is tied for first in the West at the free-throw line with Dodge City at 68.9 percent.

+ Nine opponents have scored 70 or more points vs. Cloud County this season. The Thunderbirds are averaging 70.1 points per game, which is sixth in the league. Opposing teams are shooting 40.7 percent (last in the West) and 32.3 percent from 3-point range (last in the West).

+ Forward Jordyn Alexander is the third-leading scorer in the Jayhawk West this season at 18.2 points per game. She has a season high of 28 points vs. Dodge City this season. Alexander ranks third in field-goal percentage at 56.5 percent and has hit nine 3-pointers. Alexander leads the Jayhawk West in free-throw shooting at 84.8 percent (84 of 99). Alexander ranks fifth in rebounding (8.5/game) and is third in blocked shots (1.33/game).

+ Courtney Fisher is eighth in the league in scoring at 13.1 points per game. Fisher is ninth in the league in rebounding at 7.8 boards per game. Fisher is shooting 53.6 percent from the floor.

+ Jayna Smith is the third Cloud County player averaging in double figures at 11.5 points per game. Smith ranks sixth in free-throw shooting at 76.2 percent and 10th in assists at 3.17/game.

+ Agnese Aramina is Cloud County's top 3-point shooter. She ranks seventh in the West in 3-point percentage at 31.7 percent (24 of 78) and is sixth in made 3-pointers at 1.33/game.

+ Cloud County ranks No. 2 in offensive rebounds in the league (16.56/game). The Thunderbirds are fifth in rebounding at 45.4 rebounds per game. The T-Birds allow 35.8 per contest.

+ Cloud County ranks 15.28 assists, 9.06 steals and 3.44 blocks per game.

+ The Thunderbirds turn the ball over 16.6 times per game and forces 18.1 takeaways.

Series History vs. Cloud County

This will be the 61st meeting between Hutchinson and Cloud County in a series that began in 1974. The teams have met as Jayhawk Conference rivals since 1997.

Hutchinson owns a 36-23 series advantage. The Lady Dragons are 15-10 vs. Cloud County at the Sports Arena, 17-11 in games played at Concordia, 4-2 on neutral floors and 3-2 in Region VI competition.

Hutchinson is 15-13 against Cloud County in games since the T-Birds joined the Jayhawk West before the 1996-97 season.

The visiting team has won 17 of the last 28 regular-season meetings.

HCC has won 13 of the last 14 games with Cloud County.