Men's Basketball Falls Late at Hutchinson, Faces Must-Win Showdown at Pratt

HUTCHINSON, Kan. - In a game they controlled for most of the night, the Colby Trojans saw a strong road performance slip away late, falling 75–71 to Hutchinson Wednesday (Feb. 18) night in Hutchinson, KS.

Colby set the tone early and held the advantage for more than 30 minutes of the contest, taking a 40–33 lead into halftime after a strong opening 20 minutes. The Trojans executed efficiently on offense with multiple threes from freshman Rhett Kats.

A barrage of late three-pointers fueled the Blue Dragons' comeback, as Hutchinson shot 42.4 percent from beyond the arc and 49 percent from the field overall. Daleron Thomas led the rally with a game-high 29 points, knocking down eight triples, several coming in the closing minutes to swing momentum and ultimately seal the game.

Sophomore D.J. Cason paced the Trojans with 20 points, shooting an efficient 8-of-13 from the field and 4-of-7 from three while consistently providing offense when Colby needed it most. Rhett Kats added 13 points and seven rebounds, impacting the game behind the arc, while Aliou Diallo battled through a tough shooting night to score 10 points and go 8-of-10 from the free-throw line to keep Colby in front for much of the contest.

Inside, Nana Keutcha anchored the paint with eight rebounds and strong defensive presence, while Gabe Njenga and Owen Reece each contributed six points. The Trojans also received valuable minutes off the bench from Braedyn Gillespie and Elias Agba, who helped maintain energy and defensive pressure throughout the game.

Colby shot a solid 44.1 percent from the field and connected on 11 three-pointers, while outrebounding Hutchinson 37–23 and building multiple second-half leads. However, Hutchinson's late perimeter shooting and ball movement, finishing with 22 assists, proved to be the difference in the final minutes.

The loss marks a tough result for a Trojans squad that executed well for most of the night and showed its ability to compete on the road against tough conference competition. The Trojans now turn their full attention to a crucial matchup with Pratt, with postseason implications on the line. With both teams holding identical conference records and Pratt already owning one win in the season series, Saturday's (Feb. 21) contest carries major weight in the race for a KJCCC Tournament berth. Colby enters the matchup in must-win territory, looking to build off their strong performance and keep its postseason hopes alive.