First place on the line in West

GAME 22 - No. 3 Hutchinson (21-0, 7-0) vs. No. 9 Seward Co. (22-2, 7-1)

Date: Saturday, February 8, 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: Reserved-$7; Gen. Ad.-$5

FIRST PLACE AT STAKE WHEN NO. 3 HCC WOMEN PLAY HOST TO NO. 9 SEWARD COUNTY

For the second time this season, the Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team and Seward County meet with first place in the Jayhawk West on the line.

The No. 3-ranked Lady Dragons (21-0, 7-0 Jayhawk West) take on No. 9 Seward County (22-2, 7-1) at 5:30 p.m. at the Sports Arena. The matchup will be the second this season with both teams ranked in the NJCAA Top 10. Hutchinson holds a one-half game lead over the Saints.

The game will be videostreamed live by the Blue Dragon Sports Network and broadcast live on Blue Dragon flagship station KHUT-FM (102.9) and on sister stations KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5) beginning at 5:20 p.m.

Winners of 22 straight games dating back to last season and 95 consecutive home games, the Lady Dragons haven't played since last Saturday's 100-34 victory over Dodge City. HCC's game at Garden City on Wednesday was postponed because of the winter storm.

Seward County played its game on Wednesday, defeating Colby 80-54.

The Lady Dragons handed Seward County its only Jayhawk West loss of the season on Jan. 18 in Liberal as Hutchinson defeated the Saints 61-55.

HCC's Jen'Von'Ta Hill led the Lady Dragons in that first meeting with 22 points, a career-high 15 rebounds and five assists as HCC rallied from a halftime deficit for just the second time this season.

Saturday's game features two of the top offenses in the NJCAA. Seward County ranks No. 8 in scoring (84.2 ppg) and No. 12 in field-goal percentage (46.3%). HCC ranks No. 17 in scoring average (82.8 ppg) and No. 8 in field-goal percentage (47.3%).

Noting The Lady Dragons

+ Entering play on Saturday, the Lady Dragons rank nationally in the following categories: No. 4 in scoring defense (47.2 ppg); No. 1 in field-goal defense (27.1 percent); No. 2 in assists (21.0/game); No. 4 in rebounding (50.9/game); No. 8 in field-goal percentage (47.3%); No. 13 in 3-point percentage (35.9%); and No. 17 in scoring offense (82.2 ppg).

+ Overall, HCC ranks second in the Jayhawk West in scoring average at 82.2 points per game. The Lady Dragons hold the top spot in field-goal shooting in the Jayhawk West, shooting 46.7 percent and 3-point shooting at 35.9 percent. HCC is fifth in free-throw shooting at 64.6 percent.

+ Defensively, Hutchinson continues to be dominant. The Lady Dragons are allowing a Jayhawk West-low 47.2 points per game. The Lady Dragons are No. 1 in the West in defensive field-goal percentage (27.1 percent) and 3-point defense (22.6 percent).

+ In conference play, the Lady Dragons average 81.0 points per game, while shooting 50.7 percent overall, 42.2 percent from 3-point range and 63.9 percent from the foul line. Defensively in league play, HCC is allowing 49.3 points per game with opponents shooting 27.3 percent overall and 21.4 percent from long range.

+ HCC is averaging 5.33 made 3-pointers per game, third in the Jayhawk West.

+ Sophomore Jamie Patrick is HCC's leading scorer at 18.6 points per contest, which is third in the Jayhawk West. Patrick is shooting 55.2 percent overall (2nd in the West). She ranks second in the league in 3-point percentage at 41.0 percent and is second in made 3's (2.05/game). Patrick is shooting 79.7 percent at the free-throw line, which ranks third in the league. Patrick is averaging 6.1 rebounds per game. Patrick is 10th in the Jayhawk West in steals at 1.76 per game. Patrick is averaging 17.9 points per game in conference play, shooting 62.0 percent overall and 50.0 percent from 3-point range.

+ With a recent school-record performance of 22 rebounds at Barton on Jan. 29, freshman Kalani Purcell moved up to No. 3 in the Jayhawk West in rebounding at 10.14 rebounds per game. Purcell has 11 games of 10 or more rebounds and seven double-doubles this season. Purcell is second on the team and is 14th in the Jayhawk West in scoring at 11.9 points per game. Purcell is shooting 48.5 percent from the field. Purcell leads the league and is 12th in the NJCAA in steals (3.71/game) and is tied for fifth the West in blocks (1.19/game). Purcell is eighth in the conference in assists at 3.29/game. In conference play, Purcell is averaging 11.9 points, 12.6 rebounds and 3.43 steals per game.

+ Sophomore point guard Jen'Von'Ta Hill is averaging 10.8 points per game. She is shooting 37.3 percent overall, 25.5 percent from 3-point range and 62.5 percent from the foul line. Hill leads the league and ranks No. 10 in the NJCAA in assists at 5.95 per game and is ranked fifth in the Jayhawk West in steals at 2.90 per game. Hill is averaging 14.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 3.4 steals per game in Jayhawk West play.

+ Sophomore Kiarra Jones now leads the Jayhawk West in field-goal percentage at 57.3 percent. She averaging 8.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Jones is averaging 7.0 points and 4.3 rebounds in the Jayhawk West.

+ Sophomore Briana Starks is averaging 8.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. She is averaging 9.7 points and 5.4 rebounds while shooting 51.0 percent in conference play.

+ Freshman Shakira Harding broke a scoring slump with a career-high 16 points against Dodge City last week. She averages of 7.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Harding is scoring 6.0 points per game in league play.

+ Freshman Chelsea Dewey is averaging 8.0 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists.

+ The Lady Dragons are second in rebounding in the Jayhawk West at 50.9 rebounds per game. They have 14 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-18.2. HCC allows 32.7 rebounds per contest.

+ The Lady Dragons are averaging a league-best 21.0 assists per game.

+ Turnovers have been an issue for HCC so far this season. The Lady Dragons are turning the ball over 18.2 times per game, while forcing 21.6 turnovers per game. Shockingly, opponents haven't been able to take full advantage of the Lady Dragon miscues. The first 20 opponents have averaged only 10.5 points off HCC turnovers per game.

+ Hutchinson leads the Jayhawk West in team steals at 13.14 steals per game.

+ The Lady Dragons are third in the West in blocked shots at 3.86 rejections per game.

Scouting Seward County

+ The No. 9-ranked Saints started the season 12-0 before Eastern Arizona upset Seward County 81-75 on a neutral court on Dec. 28 in California. Since then, The Saints have won five in a row and 10 of 11 with the only blemish to that mark a 61-55 loss to HCC on Jan. 18.

+ The Saints have been very balanced offensively this season with six players averaging in double figures. Seward County leads the Jayhawk West and ranks eight in the nation in scoring at 84.4 points per game. The Saints are shooting at 46.5 percent overall, which is No. 2 in the league and No. 12 in the NJCAA. Seward ranks fifth in 3-point percentage at 27.0 percent and is second at the free-throw line (68.2%)

+ Seward County has gone to the free-throw line 205 more times than its opponents, averaging 25.7 free-throw attempts per game.

+ Defensively, Seward County is second in the KJCCC West in scoring defense at 60.6 points per game. Seward County is No. 2 in field-goal defense at 32.7 percent and No. 2 in 3-point defense at 25.4 percent.

+ Sophomore Shanise Brooks is sixth in the Jayhawk West in scoring at 15.6 points per game. She is sixth in the league in rebounding at 7.7 rebounds and leads the Jayhawk West in blocked shots at 2.1 rejections per game. Brooks is shooting 51.8 percent overall (10th in the West) and 76.9 percent from the foul line (5th in the West).

+ Brianna Scott is tied for 11th in scoring in the conference at 12.1 points per game. Scott is fifth in the league in assists at 4.0 per game and sixth in steals in at 2.4 per game.

+ Sophomore Fabiana Monte is Seward County's top 3-point shooting at 41.1 percent, which ranks third in the league. She is seventh in made 3s at 1.26/game. Monte is averaging 11.7 points per game, ranking 15th in the conference.

+ Redshirt sophomore Korina Chapman is scoring at 11.5 points per game. She ranks seventh in field-goal percentage at 52.9 percent and is second on the team in rebounding at 7.3 boards per game, which is 10th in the league.

+ Alana Simon averages 11.5 points per game at 46.6 percent shooting. She is eighth in steals in the league 2.09 per game.

+ Kyndal Davis averages 11.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.

+ Seward County averages 47.4 rebounds per game and allowed 39.3 per contest.

+ The Saints are the top shot blocking team at 5.9 per game. The Saints average 16.8 assists and 11.9 steals.

+ Seward County is averaging 18.8 turnovers per game and forces 24.0 takeaways per contest this season.

Series History vs. Seward County

This will be the 80th meeting between Hutchinson and Seward County in a series that began in 1977. Hutchinson has rallied in the past five years take the series lead at 40-39.

HCC is 21-16 in games played in Hutchinson. Seward County leads 21-16 in games played in Liberal - HCC has won the last four at the Green House. HCC leads on neutral courts 3-2.

Hutchinson holds a 4-2 series advantage in Region VI Tournament meetings. The last postseason meeting came last year at the Sports Arena.

Since losing 18 games in a row to the Saints from 1995-2004, Hutchinson is 14-9 since, including victories in 11 of the last 12 meetings and nine straight.