Garden City can't hold early lead; loses at Sports Arena

Hutchinson, KS-One quarter made all the difference on Saturday night.  

The Blue Dragons turned an early seven-point deficit into a runaway thanks to a 31-7 scoring edge in the third, Monae Duffy and Kiki Smith combined for 33 points, and No. 5 Hutchinson topped Garden City, 73-56 Saturday night at the Sports Arena.  

Stevi Yancy scored 11 points for the Broncbusters, which lost its fifth straight game and fell to 10-7 overall and 5-7 in conference. Sierra Driessen and Maya Nieto each chipped in 10.  

Madi Denison tallied 12 points in 14 minutes off the bench for Hutchinson, which improved to 18-0 overall and 12-0 in conference. They are one of only three unbeaten teams remaining in Division I, joining Northwest Florida State and Collin County.  

But it was the Broncbusters who looked like the better team early in this one.  

Ana Ramos Pires made three layups to begin the game including a beautiful pirouette move, Driessen beat two defenders down the middle for a basket, and Garden City was up 10-3 halfway through the opening period. But Ramos Pires was forced to sit the final 15 minutes plus of the first half after picking up her third foul. The Broncbusters were up four after one and had a three-point cushion three minutes into the second.  

Hutchinson though took its first lead on Bree Hornya's layup to make it 16-15 with 7:06 to go. They were up 25-24 at the break.  

Then the wheels fell off in the third.  

Garden City managed just a single bucket over the first four minutes of the period as Hutchinson hit the Broncbusters with a 15-2 run to take a 40-26 advantage. Smith then buried a 3-pointer, and Peyton Mosley made a layup off an inbounds pass by Hornya, giving the Blue Dragons a 27-point advantage. They led by 25 after three.  

Hutchinson shot 52 percent from the field and outrebounded Garden City, 42-28. They had 18 assists on 31 made baskets. 

Antonicia Moultire finished with two points, eight rebounds, and five assists for the Broncbusters. Sariah Conley had nine points.