Hailey Jackson Scores 26 to Lead Hutchinson Past Cowley

View fullsize

Hailey Jackson scores a career-high 26 points to lead the No. 11 Blue Dragon women to a 12-0 record in the first semester after a 72-47 victory over Cowley on Saturday at the Sports Arena. (Billy Watson/Blue Dragon Sports Information)

Freshman Hailey Jackson poured in a career-high 26 points and the Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team turned in another impressive defensive performance as the No. 11 Blue Dragons rolled to their 12th-straight victory to start the 2023-24 season.

Jackson is a 2023 Charles Page High School alum. 2022 CPHS alum Journey Armstead had a season-high eight assists, her seventh career game of eight or more assists.

The Blue Dragons held their eighth opponent this season to less than 30 percent shooting as Hutchinson closed the first semester of play with a 72-47 victory over the Tigers at the Sports Arena.

Hutchinson is now 12-0 overall and 6-0 in the Jayhawk Conference. The Blue Dragons open the second semester at No. 3 Butler on January 3 and will return to the Sports Arena on January 6 against Northwest Tech. Cowley is now 7-6 overall and 1-6 in the conference.

Jackson knocked down a Blue Dragon individual and personal high five free throws in seven attempts to power her career-high 26-point performance, which ties for second most by a Blue Dragon this season. Overall, Jackson was 9 of 14 from the field. Jackson added seven rebounds and two steals.

The Blue Dragon defense held Cowley to 25.0 percent shooting (12 of 48) and just 2 of 18 from 3-point range. The Blue Dragons also forced 22 Tiger turnovers, which Hutchinson turned into a 24-8 advantage in points off turnovers.

Leading 12-8 after one quarter, the Blue Dragon defense clamped down on Cowley in the second stanza, holding the Tigers to 2 of 12 shooting. The Dragons didn't allow Cowley to score for the first 7 minutes, 12 seconds – that scoreless streak was 9 minutes, 18 seconds going back to the end of the first quarter.

The Blue Dragons held Cowley 22 points under its season scoring average.

Hutchinson shot 40.9 percent (27 of 66), hitting 9 of 31 from 3-point range and 9 of 16 from the free-throw line. The Dragons out-rebounded Cowley 45-30 and grabbed 20 offensive rebounds.

Hutchinson's 12-0 start is the ninth-best start in program history.