Lady Tigers drop fourth straight home game in 75-50 loss to Hutchinson
Taking on No. 20-ranked Hutchinson Community College on Saturday in Arkansas City, the Cowley College women’s basketball team never led in a 75-50 loss.
Cowley (10-13) has dropped a season-high five games in a row and is now tied with Cloud County for ninth place in the Jayhawk Conference at 6-11. Hutchinson (19-5) remains in third place in the conference with a record of 14-4.
Playing without starter Megan Simon (11.3 points, 7 rebounds) and a pair of reserves, the Lady Tigers trailed 23-14 at the end of the first quarter.
Cowley would fail to make a basket in the second quarter (0-for-11) while being outscored 17-5 as the Blue Dragons went into halftime with a commanding 40-19 lead.
Hutchinson would go on to lead by as many as 29 points (73-44) while earning their fourth straight win. Katie Duncan hit six of Hutchinson's 13 three-pointers and led all scorers with 28 points.
"Hutchinson is a difficult match-up for us," Cowley head coach Todd Clark said. "They are solid in a lot of spots and shot the ball really well."
After playing only 20 minutes in the previous nine games, Cowley freshman Yatzel Renteria was thrust into the starting lineup and finished with 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting.
Outside of Renteria, the rest of the Tigers combined to shoot only 22 percent (10-of-45).
Cowley averages 77.3 points per game in the team's 10 wins, but averages only 54 points in the squad's 13 defeats.
Cowley will attempt to snap its losing skid when it plays at Pratt on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
"We need to move on from this and be ready to play at Pratt," Clark said.
The Beavers (6-17) have lost 14 games in a row and are just 2-16 in conference play.
Box score:
Hutchinson (75): Whitney Brown 1-4 0-0 2, Katie Duncan 11-19 0-3 28, Noelle Anthon 2-5 0-0 9, KaMyra Barber 2-9 0-0 6, Jaden Wilson 0-1 0-0 0, Jamya McPherson 1-4 0-0 3, Jamia Taylor 0-1 0-2 0, Delora Pricop 5-9 0-0 10, Tayla Galucho 0-4 0-0 0, Kaia Smith 5-11 1-1 14. Totals: 28-69 6-11 75.
Cowley (50): Braylee Reed 1-4 0-0 2, Mallory Jackson 2-15 4-7 9, Aniyah Burney 3-6 0-0 8, Naya Burleson 1-10 0-0 3, Yatzel Renteria 6-11 2-2 17, Zari Walker 2-3 4-4 8, Kiersylnn Waggoner 0-0 0-0 0, Makenna Justus 0-4 0-0 0, Saliyah Henderson-Johnson 1-3 1-2 3. Totals: 16-56 11-15 50.
Three-pointers: Hutchinson 13-30 (Duncan 6-13, Smith 3-5, Barber 2-4, Brown 1-3, McPherson 1-3), Cowley 7-29 (Renteria 3-6, Burney 2-4, Jackson 1-6, Burleson 1-6, Justus 0-3, Henderson-Johnson 0-2). Rebounds: Hutchinson 44 (Smith 11), Cowley 37 (Reed 8). Assists: Hutchinson 22 (Brown 8), Cowley 8 (Jackson 3). Turnovers: Hutchinson 8, Cowley 12. Fouled out: none. Technicals: none.
