Lady Busters Outmatched by No. 5 Hutchinson
Garden City Community College womens basketball team hosted Northern Oklahoma College on Friday, November 10, 2023 in Enid, Ok. The Lady Busters defeated the Mavericks 63 - 57. Photo credits; Adam Shrimplin, Shrimplin Photography
HUTCHINSON, Kan. – The elite talent in the Jayhawk Conference knows how to flip games. The first half saw the two trade leads back and forth, especially late in the second quarter.
The second half saw a completely different game play out.
The Garden City Broncbusters fell flat at Hutchinson Sports Arena, defeated by the No. 5 Hutchinson Blue Dragons, 73-56, on Saturday. The loss marked Garden City’s fifth straight loss to open up 2024.
The Broncbusters started the game bringing their ‘A game’ on the defensive end. The Blue Dragons would hit just two of their first eight looks from the floor, digging an early deficit.
Garden City (10-7, 5-7 KJCCC) led by as much as seven in the first quarter, with forward Ana Ramos Pires scoring six points in the first frame. The Broncbusters led 13-10 after one, the first time Garden City led at the end of one in 2024.
Hutchinson (18-0, 12-0 KJCCC) shot just four-for-16 in the first quarter, but turned their fortunes around in the second. The Blue Dragons scored 20 of their 25 first half points in the paint, with forwards Monae Duffy and Madi Denison combining for 15 points.
The Broncbusters led for 14:54 of the first half, but trailed, 25-24, at the half.
Hutchinson would lead for the entirety of the second half. The Dragons would knock down their first two triples, followed by Journey Armstead and Hailey Jackson converting transition buckets, leading to a 15-2 run out of the gates.
The Blue Dragons burned the Broncbusters in the third quarter, out-scoring Garden City, 31-27. Hutchinson was a near-flawless 13-of-17 in the frame.
Maya Nieto swished a pair of threes to help bring the game back within 12, but the deficit proved too much for GCCC to overcome.
Nieto finished with 10 points, Stevi Yancy led the Busters with 11.
The Broncbusters’ schedule resets next Wednesday, as Garden City travels to face the Colby Trojans. GCCC defeated Colby, 76-58, at Conestoga Arena in November.
Coverage on 99.9 ‘The Rock’ begins at 5:10 P.M., with tip slated for 5:30.
