Journey Armstead and Hailey Jackson Win NJCAA National Title with Hutchinson WBB

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The Blue Dragon women win the 2024 national championship with an 88-80 overtime victory over Northwest Florida State on Monday night in Casper, WY

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

CASPER, Wyoming – Hutchinson Community College women's basketball was indeed golden on Monday night and two former Sandites led the way.

Sophomore Journey Armstead and freshman Hailey Jackson became the first national champion hoopers from Sand Springs since Nick Tate won the NAIA crown with Mid-America Christian University in 2016.

Trailing by six points with 2:32 to play in the fourth quarter, the top-seeded Blue Dragons were able to force overtime and then dominate the extra session, outscoring defending national champion Northwest Florida State 19-11 in overtime, to win the program's first national championship with an 88-80 victory in the 2024 NJCAA Division I Women's Tournament championship game at the Ford Wyoming Center.

The Blue Dragons complete their 50th season with an undefeated 37-0 record – a school record for wins, longest winning streak (37) and best start to a season (37-0).

This was Hutchinson's fourth attempt to win a women's basketball national championship, coming up short in 2012, 2014 and 2015.

Both Jackson and Armstead were named to the all-tournament team on Monday. Jackson had a postseason-high and team-high 25 points to lead the Blue Dragons. She hit three critical free throws with 0.7 seconds left in regulation to force overtime. Jackson finished seventh on the freshman season scoring list with 478 points, including 65 points in the tournament.

Armstead had 11 points and three assists before fouling out with 5:09 to play in the fourth quarter.

The Blue Dragons led by as many as 13 points in the third quarter, but Northwest Florida State rallied to take a 57-55 lead after three quarters and led 68-62 with 2:27 to play in regulation.

The Dragons rallied back, closing with a 7-1 run, getting three free throws from Jackson with 0.7 seconds to play to tie the game at 69-all.

In overtime, Akaysha Muggeridge, Jackson and KiKi Smith scored on consecutive possessions for a 77-71 lead and upped the lead to eight at 81-73 on a Muggeridge hoop with 1:18 to go. The Blue Dragons were 6 of 6 shooting from the floor and 7 of 10 from the foul line in overtime. Northwest Florida State was 5 of 12.

The Blue Dragons had to overcome the 30-point performance of Northwest Florida State's Destiney McPhaul, who was 10 of 20 shooting and 10 of 12 from the free-throw line.

After shooting 52.2 percent in the first half, the Blue Dragons shot 49.2 percent for the game (30 of 61). The Blue Dragons were 3 of 16 from 3-point range and 25 of 33 from the free-throw line. The Dragons out-rebounded the Raiders 36-29, but committed an NJCAA-Tournament high 19 turnovers.

Both teams came out on fire – Northwest Florida State shot 63.6 percent and the Blue Dragons shot 53.8 percent – in an opening quarter that had three lead changes and four ties.

The Dragons took an 11-9 lead after an Armstead transition basket with 3:34 to go. Northwest rallied to tie the game at 15-all, but Jackson hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key for an 18-15 Hutchinson lead after one quarter.

The Dragons opened a six-point lead when Armstead had a strong drive to the hoop for a 23-17 lead with 8:22 to play in the second quarter. The Dragons then went on a 10-2 run to build its first double-digit lead of 33-22 on a Jackson 15-footer with 4:57 to play. The Dragons led 39-28 at halftime.

The Blue Dragons led 48-35 after a Jackson inside basket with 7:21 remaining in the third quarter. Turnovers started to become an issue. Seven Dragon miscued led to 14 Northwest points off turnovers as the Raiders outscored the Blue Dragons 22-10 over the final 7 minutes to take a 57-55 lead heading to the fourth quarter, closing the period on an 8-0 run.

Facing major foul trouble in the fourth quarter, the Blue Dragons trailed 68-62 with 2:37 to play in regulation. Jackson hit two free throws with 1:37 left and Smith had a steal and layup with 1:37 left to cut the deficit to 68-66.

The Raiders had a chance to put the game away with 2.6 seconds left, but Celia Riviere missed the second of two free throws and the Dragons corralled the rebound and called timeout to advance the ball. On the inbound, Jackson was fouled attempting a 3-pointer and she made all three free throws to give the Blue Dragons new life, tied at 69-all at the end of regulation.

Trading buckets on the first two possessions of overtime, Muggeridge, Jackson and Smith scored on consecutive possessions to build a 77-71 lead with 2:44 to go. After Northwest hit a 3-pointer to cut the Dragon lead to 82-78 with 42 seconds left, Kahlen Norris had a strong take to the hoop to score for an 84-78 lead with 33 seconds left.

This was Hutchinson's second win this season over a Top-5 ranked opponent, also defeating No. 3 Butler in January.

Armstead finished the season averaging 10.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 2.2 steals per game while Jackson averaged 12.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1.2 steals.

As a sophomore, Armstead will be looking for a new home at a four-year university next season while Jackson has one season of junior college eligibility remaining.

Armstead and Jackson Earn All-Conference and No. 1 Seed for NJCAA Playoffs

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Courtesy of Hutchinson CC Sports Information

Running the table through the regular season and winning the Region 6 Tournament, the Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team earned the No. 1 overall seed for the 2024 NJCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament on Sunday evening.

The 33-0 Blue Dragons will receive an opening-round bye and will play the winner of the Cochise/Chattanooga State winner at 3:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday, March 27 at the Ford Wyoming Center in Casper, Wyoming.

The Blue Dragons enter a national tournament undefeated for the fourth time in program history, joining the 1977, 2012 and 2014 teams to accomplish that feat.

Two Charles Page High School alumni are leading the charge. Sophomore guard Journey Armstead was named a Jayhawk Conference first-team selection on Thursday and freshman forward Hailey Jackson was named to the all-conference second team.

Armstead is averaging 10 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2.3 steals per game while Jackson is averaging 12.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.

In its last game, No. 1 Hutchinson won 49-39 over Barton to win the Region 6 Tournament. Armstead scored 10 points with 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 steals in that game and is now fourth all-time on the Blue Dragon career assist list. Jackson scored 9 points with 8 rebounds.

Journey Armstead and Hailey Jackson Keep Winning With No. 1 Hutchinson

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Journey Armstead posts a double-double with 14 points and 10 assists to lead the No. 1-ranked Blue Dragons 81-62 victory over Cowley on Wednesday in Arkansas City. (Billy Watson/Blue Dragon Sports Information).

ARKANSAS CITY – The Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team passed its first test as the No. 1-ranked team in the NJCAA after completing a big road test on Wednesday night.

Paced by five players scoring in double figures – which included Journey Armstead's third career double-double – the top-ranked Blue Dragons pulled away in the middle two quarters for an 81-62 KJCCC victory over the Cowley Tigers at Scott Auditorium.

The Blue Dragons extended the fourth-best start and fifth-longest winning streak in team history to 24-0 overall and 18-0 in the Jayhawk Conference. The Blue Dragons play host to No. 21 Butler at 2 p.m. on Saturday at the Sports Arena.

Armstead, a 2023 Charles Page High School alum, had her third career double-double with 14 points and a career-high-tying 10 assists. She also had a single-game career-high six steals and posted the 21st all-time 10-assist game in Blue Dragon history. She also had 10 assists vs. the Washburn JV and Pratt in 2022-23.

Hailey Jackson, a 2024 CPHS alum, finished with 12 points and eight rebounds.

Despite shooting only 35.0 percent in the opening quarter, the Blue Dragons had three early 3-pointers to spark the offense. Armstead hit a 3-pointer for an early 7-2 lead.

The Blue Dragons started the second quarter on a 13-2 run, holding Cowley without a field goal for the first 3 minutes, 33 seconds of the quarter. The Dragons then went scoreless for 4 minutes, 11 seconds and Cowley cut the Dragon lead to 32-27 with 3:31 to play after a Destiny Yates' 3-pointer. Hutchinson turned the tables on Cowley, holding the Tigers scoreless for the remainder of the quarter.

The Dragons outscored Cowley 25-16 in the third quarter. Leading 45-34, Jackson scored off a Cowley turnover, which started a 10-2 Hutchinson run.

Hutchinson led 61-43 after three quarters and maintained its comfortable lead through the final quarter. Cowley drew as close as 17 points twice in the final 10 minutes.

Armstead is averaging 11 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2.5 steals per game. Jackson is averaging 12.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. Both were All-State selections at Sand Springs.

Sandite Alumni Report: Hutchinson Routs Colby, Kersgieter Suffers Ankle Injury

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Journey Armstead knocks down a 3-pointer during the second half of No. 2 Hutchinson's 69-35 win over Colby on Wednesday at the Colby Event Center. (Billy Watson/Blue Dragon Sports Information)

2019 Charles Page High School alum Holly Kersgieter suffered an ankle injury last Saturday in Kansas’s 60-55 loss to Oklahoma and missed Wednesday’s 67-53 win over BYU. No timetable has been given yet for her return.

The Jayhawks (11-10, 4-6) travel to TCU (15-7, 2-7) Saturday at 6:00 p.m.

2019 alum Isabella Regalado helped coach Southeastern Oklahoma State to a 64-57 win over Arkansas State on Thursday. Regalado is a graduate assistant for the Savage Storm, which improved to 7-12 overall and 3-10 in Great American Conference play. Southeastern will host Harding Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

2023 alum Hailey Jackson and 2022 alum Journey Armstead continued their undefeated season at Hutchinson Community College, where the Blue Dragons improved to 20-0 with a 69-35 win over Colby Community College on Wednesday.

Armstead scored 10 points to surpass 500 points in her college career, adding 7 rebounds and 3 assists. Jackson scored 4 points with 3 boards.

The Blue Dragons are ranked No. 2 in the country and will host Independence, Kansas (12-9) Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

Men’s Basketball

2021 alum Marlo Fox is in his junior year at Rogers State University (11-9, 8-6). The Hillcats fell 80-74 to Washburn in overtime on Thursday. RSU will host Emporia State (14-8 7-7) Saturday at 4:00 p.m. for Homecoming.

Sandite College Report: Kersgieter Sets Kansas Record, Hutchinson Stays Undefeated

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Charles Page High School 2019 alum Holly Kersgieter recently set the school record for made three-pointers at the University of Kansas.

The fifth-year senior set the record on Saturday, January 6th, in a 73-64 defeat at Texas Tech, scoring a team-high 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field.

Kersgieter was 3-of-6 on treys for 239 threes in her career, eclipsing the previous record of 237 held by Angie Halbleib since 1997.

“I’m really proud of Holly. It’s been an absolute joy to be a part of her career, to coach her, see her development and improvement,” said head coach Brandon Schneider after the game. “I think the most impressive thing right now with her and the three-point shot is the percentage that she’s shooting.”

The former Sandite now stands at 38-of-87 for a three-point percentage of 43.7%, which ranks 22nd in the NCAA Division I.

She has started all 19 games for the Jayhawks, who are 10-9 overall and 3-5 in Big 12 play following a 60-58 win against Iowa State on Wednesday. Kersgieter is averaging 11.4 points, 1.6 assists, 1.2 steals, and 4.8 rebounds per game.

She recorded her first double-double of the season and 10th of her career with 12 points and 10 rebounds at Kansas State on Jan. 20. She ranks No. 7 on KU’s all-time scoring list with 1,776 career points, surpassing Lynn Pride (1,774) at KSU.

The Jayhawks will travel to Oklahoma (12-6, 6-1) Saturday at 6:00 p.m.

Regalado Coaching Savage Storm

Kersgieter’s fellow 2019 Sandite alum, Isabella Regalado, is coaching as a graduate assistant at Southeastern Oklahoma State this season. The Savage Storm is 6-12 on the year, competing in the NCAA Division II Great American Conference.

Blue Dragons Stay Rolling

Hutchinson Community College remains undefeated at 19-0 and is ranked No. 4 in the NJCAA. The Dragons have two former Sandites starting in 2023 alum Hailey Jackson and 2022 alum Journey Armstead (2022).

Most recently the Dragons survived an 82-77 encounter with No. 12 Dodge City in Jayhawk Conference play. Armstead had 14 points, 5 assists, 5 steals, and 4 rebounds in the latest win while Jackson had 12 points.

Jackson is averaging 12.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while Armstead has 10.7 points, 4.2 boards, 4.8 assists, and 2.2 steals.

Hutchinson will return to action Wednesday at Colby Community College (6-13, 2-12).

Undefeated No. 11 Hutchinson Knocks Off No. 3 Butler

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EL DORADO – The No. 11 Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team took over sole possession of first place in the Jayhawk Conference Wednesday night after returning from the holiday break with a dominant victory over No. 3 Butler at the Power Plant.

Former Lady Sandites Hailey Jackson and Journey Armstead were top contributors in the victory.

Hutchinson defeated a Top 5 nationally ranked team for the first time since March 8, 2017 when the Blue Dragons defeated then-No. 4 Seward County 65-44 in the 2017 Region VI Tournament.

The Blue Dragons are now 13-0 overall and are the last remaining undefeated team in the Jayhawk Conference at 7-0. The Blue Dragons play host to Northwest Tech at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Sports Arena. Butler is now 12-1 and 6-1 in the KJCCC.

Hutchinson trailed 7-2 with 5:36 to play in the first quarter before finally getting its offense going. Armstead's layup with 13 seconds left in the period gave Hutchinson an 11-10 lead after the first quarter.

The Blue Dragons exploded in the second quarter, outscoring Butler 28-4 over the first 9 1/2 minutes of the second quarter. Hutchinson shot 71.4 percent (10 of 14) and was 5 of 5 from 3-point distance in the second stanza. Butler was just 3 of 13 in the second quarters and committed seven turnovers.

Leading 23-14 with 5:22 to play in the period, the Blue Dragons went on a 16-0 run over a span of 5 minutes, 7 seconds to build a game-high 25-point lead at 39-14 with 18 seconds to play. Butler's Freddie Wallace hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to cut the Dragon lead to 39-17 at halftime.

The Blue Dragon lead dwindled to 12 points at 51-39 with 9:43 to play in the fourth quarter, but Hutchinson answered with a 7-0 run with 6:03 to play for a 58-39 lead.

Jackson had 12 points. nine rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block. Armstead had eight points, two rebounds, two assists, and two steals.