Hutch women hit the road

GAME 19 - No. 3 Hutchinson (18-0, 4-0) at Pratt (14-6, 1-3)

Date: Saturday, January 25, 2014

Tipoff: 6 p.m.

Site: Dennis Lesh Sports Arena, Pratt, KS (Capacity: 1,500)

Radio: KHUT-FM (102.9), KWBW-AM/FM (1450/89.5), 5:50 p.m. Glen Grunwald (PBP); Daren Dunn (analyst)

Internet Video, Live Stats: Blue Dragon Sports Network, 5:50 p.m.

Twitter: @bluedragonsport

LADY DRAGONS TRAVEL TO PRATT TO OPEN TWO-GAME ROAD TRIP

The Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team will face two-straight Jayhawk West road games beginning with the Pratt Beavers on Saturday in Pratt.

The No. 3-ranked Lady Dragons will tip off with the Beavers at 6 p.m. on Saturday at the Dennis Lesh Sports Arena. The Blue Dragon Sports Network will video the game live and it will be broadcast live on Blue Dragon flagship station KHUT-FM (102.9) and sister stations KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5) beginning at 5:50 p.m.

The Lady Dragons have had the defensive challenge of facing some of the Jayhawk West's top scorers this season. The Lady Dragons will be challenged on Saturday by the nation's No. 3 scorer in Pratt's Tatiana Grant, who is averaging 27.0 points per game.

Grant, who is the reigning NJCAA National Player of the Week, has had games of 51 and 42 points and seven total games of 30 or more points.

But the Lady Dragons are the top defensive team in the Jayhawk West and No. 3 in the NJCAA at 46.8 points per game and allowing teams to shoot 27.6 percent shooting.

Winners of 19-straight games dating back to last year, Hutchinson (18-0, 4-0 Jayhawk West) comes into Saturday's game after a decisive 81-58 victory on Wednesday over Cloud County at the Sports Arena.

Over her last two games, HCC point guard Jen'Von'Ta Hill has been stellar, averaging 20 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and five steals.

Since a 13-2 start, Pratt has dropped 4 of 5, falling to Garden City 83-58 on Wednesday at Garden City.

Noting The Lady Dragons

+ Hutchinson shot better than 50 percent for the eighth time this season on Wednesday against Cloud County. Overall, HCC ranks third in the Jayhawk West in scoring average at 81.4 points per game. HCC is shooting 46.2 percent (2nd in KJCCC West), 35.1 percent from 3-point range (2nd in West) and 64.7 percent from the foul line (5th in West).

+ Defensively, Hutchinson continues to be dominant. The Lady Dragons are allowing a Jayhawk West-low 46.8 points per game. The Lady Dragons are No. 1 in the West in defensive field-goal percentage (27.6 percent) and 3-point defense (22.9 percent).

+ In four games of conference play, the Lady Dragons 76.5 points per game, shooting 47.9 percent overall, 44.2 percent (19 of 43) from 3-point range and 64.1 percent from the foul line. Defensively in league play, HCC is allowing 49.0 points per game with opponents shooting 29.5 percent overall and 21.7 percent from long range.

+ HCC is averaging 5.17 made 3-pointers per game, third in the Jayhawk West.

+ Sophomore Jamie Patrick is HCC's leading scorer at 18.2 points per contest, which is fourth in the Jayhawk West. Patrick is shooting 54.0 percent overall (seventh in the West). She ranks second in the league in 3-point percentage at 39.3 percent and is second in made 3's (1.94/game). She is shooting 77.4 percent, climbing to fourth in the league. Patrick is averaging 5.89 rebounds per game. Patrick is ninth in the Jayhawk West in steals at 1.89 per game. Patrick is averaging 15.5 points per game in conference play, shooting 61.1 percent.

+ Coming off her sixth double-double of the season on Wednesday, freshman Kalani Purcell is second on the team and is 13th in the Jayhawk West in scoring at 12.2 points per game. Purcell is shooting 46.7 percent from the field. She leads the team and ranks third in the West in rebounding at 9.56 boards per game. Purcell leads the league in steals (3.88/game) and is fifth in blocks (1.22/game). In conference play, Purcell is averaging 13.0 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.0 steals per game (13th in NJCAA). Purcell is 10th in assists at 3.11/game.

+ Sophomore point guard Jen'Von'Ta Hill has put together back-to-back gems against Seward County and Cloud County. Hill averaged 20 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and five steals in those two games, posing her first career double-double vs. Seward County one week ago in Liberal. For the season, Hill is scoring 10.2 points per game. She is shooting 34.1 percent overall, 26.0 percent from 3-point range and 61.4 percent from the foul line. Hill leads the league in assists at 5.94 per game (11th in NJCAA) 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 55.1 percent. She averaging 8.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Jones is averaging 7.3 points and 5.0 rebounds in the Jayhawk West.

+ Sophomore Briana Starks is averaging 8.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. She is averaging 10.8 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting 55.6 percent in conference play.

+ Freshman Shakira Harding has been quiet offensively of late. She averages of 7.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Harding is scoring 3.3 points per game in league play.

+ Freshman Chelsea Dewey hit a career-best three 3-pointers vs. Cloud County on Wednesday. She is averaging 7.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists off the bench.

+ The Lady Dragons are second in rebounding in the Jayhawk West at 50.9 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-18.2. HCC allows 32.8 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 17.7 times per game, while forcing 22.2 turnovers per game. Shockingly, opponents haven't been able to take full advantage of the Lady Dragon miscues. The first 18 opponents have averaged only 9.9 points off HCC turnovers per game. HCC has a league-best plus-4.8 turnover margin.

+ Hutchinson leads the Jayhawk West in team steals at 13.6 steals per game.

+ The Lady Dragons are second in the West in blocked shots at 3.9 rejections per game.

Scouting Pratt

+ Pratt won their first nine games and 13 of their first 15 to start the season, but since Jayhawk West play started, the Beavers have lost 4 of 5. The only victory was an 80-73 overtime victory over Dodge City.

+ In her sixth season at Pratt, this is head coach Stephanie Thompson's most gifted offensive team. The Beavers rank fifth in the Jayhawk West at 78.4 points per game. The Beavers are third in field-goal percentage at 45.1 percent, fourth in free-throw percentage at 66.9 percent and seventh in 3-point percentage at 24.7 percent.

+ Pratt ranks fifth in scoring defense in the Jayhawk West at 70.5 points per game. The Beavers are last in field-goal defense, allowing opponents to shoot 44.5 percent, but rank fourth in 3-point defense at 29.2 percent.

+ Sophomore guard Tatiana Grant has been on a season-long scoring tear. Grant, a three-time Jayhawk Conference Player of the Week, leads the Jayhawk Conference in scoring and is third in the NJCAA at 27.0 points per game. Her 51.4 field-goal percentage is 10th in the league. She shoots 76.5 percent at the free-throw line, which is fifth in the league. The Jayhawk West Player of the Year candidate is 2nd in the league and 18th in the nation in rebounding at 10.9 boards per game. She is second in the league in steals at 3.5 per game.

+ Grant, who is the reigning NJCAA National Player of the Week, has had games of 51 and 42 points and seven total games of 30 or more points.

+ Sophomore Elle Stein is the Jayhawk West leader in field-goal percentage at 59.1 percent and is tied for 13th in the Jayhawk West in scoring at 12.1 points per game. She averages 6.6 boards per game.

+ Sophomore Maddie Pendry averages 9.8 points and 3.4 assists per game. Pendry is 10th in the league in 3-point percentage at 25.3 percent. She has a team-high 21 3-pointers and a team-high 67 assists.

+ Kari Devlin and Karissa Pena average 7.0 points per game each. Pena shoots 55.1 percent overall. Devlin is second in 3-pointers with 10.

+ Pratt is last in the league in rebounding at 38.3 board per game, but ranks second in rebounds allowed at 33.9 rebounds per contest.

+ The Beavers average 13.8 assists (sixth in the West), 9.1 steals (tied for fifth in the West) and 0.90 blocks (last in the West).

+ Pratt averages 16.6 turnovers per game and forces 17.8 takeaways per contest.

+ The Beavers are 2-0 in overtime game this season, defeating Independence 96-87 in double-overtime where Tatiana Grant put up a career-best 52 points. The Beavers' other OT win came one week ago against Dodge City, 80-73. Grant had 42 in that game.

Series History vs. Pratt

This will be the 77th meeting between Hutchinson and Pratt in a series that began in 1975.

Hutchinson owns a decisive 67-9 series advantage; the 67 wins against Pratt are the most against any opponent in Lady Dragon history.

Hutchinson has won 10 straight games against the Beavers.

The Lady Dragons are 34-4 vs. Pratt at the Sports Arena, 32-5 in games played at Pratt, 1-0 on neutral floors and 2-0 in Region VI competition. The last Region VI game between HCC and Pratt came in 1986.