Men's Basketball Sweep Hutchinson on Sophomore Day

Fort Hays Tech Northwest Men's Basketball secured their second win of the season over Hutchinson Community College on Wednesday, 75–74.

The Tigers started hot, jumping out to an early 14–5 lead within the first five minutes of play. After a lineup change by Tech, the Blue Dragons responded with a 7–0 run to trim the deficit to 14–13 with 12:20 remaining in the half. The Tigers rotated their lineup again at the second media timeout and quickly found their rhythm, knocking down back-to-back three-pointers to extend the lead again. Both teams continued to battle throughout the remainder of the half, with Tech stretching its advantage to 27–17 with just under eight minutes remaining. Hutchinson continued to fight back, but the Tigers maintained control and carried a 45–35 lead into halftime.

Tech opened the second half strong, with Paris Strozier Jr. draining a three-pointer on their opening possession. The game remained competitive, with the Blue Dragons cutting the lead back to single digits, 46–54, with 15:45 remaining. The Blue Dragons would set the tone coming out of the first media timeout, with guard Bobby Cannon flying down the lane in transition for an uncontested dunk to cut Tech's lead to six. Hutchinson would eventually go on a 12–0 run, cutting the lead to one, 54–53, with 14 minutes left to play.

Da'King Smith answered with a three-pointer to reignite the Tigers' offense, but Hutchinson responded with a 7–0 run of its own to take a 60–57 lead heading into another media timeout. Tech would take back the lead just under the 10-minute mark as each team continued to battle. Hutchinson would tie the game up, 66–66, with 6:34 remaining. The Tigers would eventually take the lead again, 72-70, before Hutch called a timeout with 4:24 remaining.

The Blue Dragons narrowed the lead to one under the two-and-a-half-minute mark before Kuet Gatwech put the Tigers back up by three at the foul line with now under 90 seconds. The Blue Dragons missed a three-pointer on the next possession, but a Tech turnover gave Hutchinson another opportunity, allowing them to cut the lead back to one with 38 seconds remaining. The Tigers had their next shot blocked and turned the ball over, setting up a final chance for Hutchinson. Following consecutive timeouts by both teams, the Blue Dragons attempted a layup that was rejected out of bounds by Da'King Smith with just 1.5 seconds left. Hutchinson would throw up a long three from the corner that missed, sealing Tech's victory. 

The Blue Dragons had four players in double figures, with Dilen Miller leading all scorers with 25 points while coming off the bench. The Tigers had three players in double figures, with Da'King Smith and Kuet Gatwech leading the way with 13 points, while Jasiah Shields added 11. Marquintez Dixon also made a strong defensive impact, finishing with nine points and six blocks.

With the win, the Tigers finish 10th in the conference standings and will face the Independence Pirates in the first round of the Region VI Tournament on Saturday.