Ranked Hutch battles ranked Seward

GAME 17 - No. 3 Hutchinson (16-0, 2-0) at No. 9 Seward County (17-1, 2-0)

Date: Saturday, January 18, 2014

Tipoff: 6 p.m.

Site: Green House, Liberal, KS (Capacity: 3,000)

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

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

Twitter: @bluedragonsport

NO. 3 LADY DRAGONS TRAVEL TO NO. 9 SEWARD COUNTY ON SATURDAY

The premiere matchup in NJCAA women's basketball on Saturday will take place in Liberal when the No. 3-ranked Hutchinson Community College Lady Dragons meet No. 9 Seward County.

Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Green House. The game will be videostreamed by the Blue Dragon Sports Network and broadcast on Blue Dragon flagship station KHUT-FM (102.9) and sister stations KWBW-AM/FM (1459, 98.5) at 5:50 p.m.

Hutchinson (15-0, 2-0 Jayhawk West) and Seward County (17-1, 2-0) are two of four remaining unbeaten teams in the Jayhawk West after two rounds of games. Barton and Cloud County are the other two. Those teams meet on Saturday in Concordia.

The Lady Dragons opened a rugged five-game stretch with a 77-43 victory over Garden City on Saturday. Starting with the Saints, HCC plays three of its next four games on the road.

Seward County has won five straight since its single loss of the season to Eastern Arizona on a neutral court Dec. 28. The Saints pounded Colby 84-36 on Wednesday.

Saturday's game features the Nos. 2 and 3 offensive teams in the league (Seward 86.2 ppg; HCC 82.8 ppg) and the top 2 defensive teams in the league (HCC 45.6 ppg, Seward 59.7 ppg.). HCC and Seward County also rank in the Jayhawk West top 10 statistically in field-goal offense and defense, 3-point defense, rebounding, blocked shots, assists and steals.

Hutchinson will be playing its second nationally ranked team this season. Seward County is 2-0 vs. ranked teams.

Noting The Lady Dragons

+ After an up-and-down start offensively, the Lady Dragons have been very solid offensively over the past 10 games, averaging 87.5 points per game. Overall, HCC ranks third in the Jayhawk West in scoring average at 82.8 points per game. HCC is shooting 46.6 percent (2nd in KJCCC West), 35.7 percent from 3-point range (2nd in West) and 65.0 percent from the foul line (5th in West).

+ Defensively, Hutchinson continues to be dominant. The Lady Dragons are allowing a Jayhawk West-low 45.6 points per game. The Lady Dragons are No. 1 in the West in defensive field-goal percentage (26.7 percent) and 3-point defense (23.3 percent). Over the last 11 games, Hutchinson has allowed a scant 44.5 points per game, allowing only one team to break 50 points.

+ In two games of conference play, the Lady Dragons 82.0 points per game, shooting 52.9 percent overall, 59.1 percent (13 of 22) from 3-point range and 65.8 percent from the foul line. Defensively in league play, HCC is allowing 41.5 points per game with opponents shooting 24.1 percent overall and 23.3 percent from long range.

+ HCC is averaging 5.44 made 3-pointers per game, third in the Jayhawk West.

+ Sophomore Jamie Patrick is HCC's leading scorer at 18.5 points per contest, which is third in the Jayhawk West. Patrick is shooting 54.7 percent overall. She ranks second in the league in 3-point percentage at 41.1 percent and is second in made 3's (2.13/game). She is shooting 76.9 percent, climbing to fifth in the league. Patrick is averaging 6.13 rebounds per game. Patrick is 10th in the Jayhawk West in steals at 1.88 per game.

+ Over the last 10 games, Jamie Patrick is averaging 22.9 points per game, shooting 70.6 percent from the field. She is shooting 61.8 percent (21 of 34) from 3-point range.

+ Freshman Kalani Purcell is second on the team and is 13th in the Jayhawk West in scoring at 12.3 points per game. Purcell is shooting 48.8 percent from the field. She leads the Lady Dragons and ranks fourth in the Jayhawk West in rebounding at 9.25 boards per game. Purcell leads the league in steals (4.13/game) and is fourth in blocks (1.31/game).

+ Sophomore point guard Jen'Von'Ta Hill is scoring 9.0 points per game. She is shooting 31.5 percent overall, 24.4 percent from 3-point range and 61.2 percent from the foul line. Hill leads the league in assists at 5.93 per game and is ranked fifth in steals at 2.69 per game.

+ Sophomore Kiarra Jones is sixth in the Jayhawk West in field-goal percentage at 57.1 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 13.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in conference play.

+ Freshman Shakira Harding has climbed to averages of 7.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists. She comes off a season-high-tying three 3-pointers vs. Garden City on Wednesday.

+ Freshman Chelsea Dewey is averaging 7.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists off the.

+ The Lady Dragons are second in rebounding in the Jayhawk West at 51.1 rebounds per game. They have 11 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-18.1. HCC allows 33.0 rebounds per contest

+ The Lady Dragons are averaging a league-best 21.3 assists per game.

+ Turnovers have been an issue for HCC so far this season. The Lady Dragons are turning the ball over 17.5 times per game, while forcing 22.9 turnovers per game. Shockingly, opponents haven't been able to take full advantage of the Lady Dragon miscues. The first 15 opponents have averaged only 9.3 points off HCC turnovers per game. HCC has a league-best plus-5.4 turnover margin.

+ Hutchinson leads the Jayhawk West in team steals at 13.4 steals per game.

+ The Lady Dragons are second in the West in blocked shots at 4.3 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, Seward County has reeled off five wins in a row, including Jayhawk West victories over Garden City and Colby.

+ Seward County is 2-0 vs. nationally ranked competition with wins over NEO (75-72) and Arizona Western (60-56).

+ The Saints have been very balanced offensively this season with six players averaging in double figures. Seward County is second in the Jayhawk West at 86.2 points per game. The Saints are the shooting team in the West at 47.4 percent overall, are No. 5 in 3-point shooting at 25.9 percent and is third in free-throw shooting at 67.6 percent.

+ Seward County has gone to the free-throw line 150 more times than its opponents, averaging 27 free-throw attempts per game.

+ Defensively, Seward county is second in the KJCCC West in scoring defense at 59.7 points per game. Over the last five games, that number has been a stellar 48.2 points per game. Seward County is No. 2 in field-goal defense at 32.5 percent and No. 2 in 3-point defense at 32.5 percent.

+ Sophomore Shanise Brooks is fifth in the Jayhawk West in scoring at 15.9 points per game. She is sixth in the league in rebounding at 8.2 rebounds and leads the Jayhawk West in blocked shots at 2.2 rejections per game. Brooks is shooting 51.0 percent overall and 76.4 percent from the foul line. Brooks averages six trips to the foul line per game.

+ Redshirt sophomore Korina Chapman is 10th in the league in scoring at 12.8 points per game. She ranks fifth in field-goal percentage at 56.6 percent and is second on the team in rebounding at 7.2 boards per game.

+ Guard Brianna Scott is 11th in scoring in the conference at 12.6 points per game. Scott is fifth in the league in assists at 4.3 per game and sixth in steals in at 2.4 per game.

+ Alana Simon averages 11.6 points per game at 48.5 percent shooting. He is seventh in steals in the league 2.3 per game.

+ Kyndal Davis averages 11.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.

+ Sophomore Fabiana Monte is Seward County's top 3-point shooting at 41.0 percent (16 of 39). She is averaging 11.1 points per game.

+ Seward County is second in the league in rebounding margin at plus-10.9. The Saints average 48.9 rebounds and allow 38.1.

+ The Saints are the top shot blocking team at 6.2 per game. They have three players with at least 20 blocks - Brooks 40, Chapman 23 and Davis 22.

+ Seward County is averaging 19.9 turnovers per game and forces 24.9 takeaways per contest this season.

+ Five different Saints have at least 20 steals this season. The team averages 12.0 steals.

Series History vs. Seward County

This will be the 79th meeting between Hutchinson and Seward County in a series that began in 1977. Hutchinson has rallied in the past five years to tie the series at 39-39.

HCC is 21-16 in games played in Hutchinson. Seward County leads 21-15 in games played in Liberal - HCC has won the last three 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 13-9 since, including victories in 10 of the last 11 meetings and eight straight.