Lady Tigers Fall to Hutchinson on Sophomore Day

Fort Hays Tech Northwest Women's Basketball fell to Hutchinson Community College on Wednesday evening, 76–50.

It was a slow start to scoring, with the Blue Dragons taking an early lead, 9–5 at the six and a half minute mark, before Marta Rodriguez cut the lead to one after sinking a three-pointer. Hutchinson returned the three with one of their own, going on a 9–0 run to take an 18-8 lead just below the halfway point of the opening quarter. Rodriguez would break the drought with another three before finishing the quarter, 21-13 in favor of the Blue Dragons.

Hutchinson would score another five points to start the second before the Tigers called a timeout with 7:19 remaining. A'lasia Brown and Marta Rodriguez got the scoring going again with back-to-back threes to cut the score back to single digits, 27–19. Both teams continued to battle with the Blue Dragons leading at the half, 36–25.

The pace quickened to start the third, with five buckets on consecutive possessions to start the second half. Hutchinson eventually seized control late in the period, closing the quarter on a 7–0 run to extend its lead to 59–39 heading into the final quarter.

Marieke Acthun broke the scoring drought early in the fourth quarter with a layup, with Rodriguez adding another three shortly after. However, the Blue Dragons quickly answered extending their lead back out, proceeding to go on a 17-point run to put the score at 76–44 with under three minutes to play. The Lady Tigers closed the game out on a 6–0 run, falling short by a score of 76–50.

Statistically, the Blue Dragons held the advantage in several key areas. Hutchinson dominated the paint, outscoring Tech 42–22, while also controlling the boards with a 51–31 rebounding edge. The Blue Dragons also made frequent trips to the free-throw line, attempting 24 free throws compared to Tech's eight.

Rodriguez led the Lady Tigers offensively with 17 points while also pulling down nine rebounds, finishing as the only Tech player in double figures.

Fort Hays Tech Northwest finished the regular season tied with Independence in the conference standings. A coin toss was ultimately used to break the tie, sending the Lady Tigers into postseason play. Tech will travel to Seward County Community College on Saturday to take on the Saints in the first round of the Region VI Tournament.