Women's Basketball Battle No. 19 Hutchinson Before Late Fourth-Quarter Run

COLBY, Kan. — The Colby Trojans women's basketball team turned in a resilient, hard-fought performance Saturday (Jan. 3) but ultimately fell 64–55 to No. 19 Hutchinson Community College at the Colby Event Center.

Hutchinson opened the game with a quick 9–2 run, but Colby responded immediately. Adrian Neal checked in and drained a three-pointer off an inbound play to cut the deficit to 12–5. Dessirae Ulmer followed with a layup, and Olivia Hultgren closed the first quarter strong with a layup and a three-pointer to spark the Trojans' offense. Despite Hutchinson's early surge, Colby ended the opening period trailing just 19–14.

The Trojans carried that momentum into the second quarter. Hultgren scored to open the frame, pulling Colby within two, before Ulmer later tied the game at 18 a piece. Easha Potts then knocked down a key three-pointer to give Colby its first lead at 21–19. Hutchinson responded with a scoring run to regain control, and despite Colby's continued defensive pressure, the Blue Dragons took a 36–29 lead into halftime.

Colby delivered its strongest stretch of the game coming out of the break. Hultgren opened the third quarter with a fast-break basket, followed by a mid-range jumper from Ulmer to make it 36–33. After Hutchinson briefly extended the lead to 47–34, the Trojans answered with a 10–0 run over three minutes, cutting the deficit to 47–45. Ulmer and Hultgren fueled the surge, accounting for nearly all of the scoring during the stretch. A late Potts three-pointer and two clutch free throws from Elia Ando capped the rally, tying the game at 50–50 heading into the fourth quarter after Colby outscored Hutchinson 21–14 in the third.

Hutchinson regained control early in the final period, opening the quarter on an 8–0 run. Colby struggled to find an offensive rhythm down the stretch, managing just five points in the final 10 minutes, as the Blue Dragons closed out the game for the 64–55 win.

Ulmer led the Trojans with a game-high 21 points and 10 rebounds, recording her second double-double of the season, while also adding four steals and a block. Hultgren finished with 14 points, including three three-pointers, and Potts contributed nine points and five rebounds. Colby matched Hutchinson with 29 rebounds and shot 45.9 percent from the field against one of the top teams in the country.

Despite the loss, the Trojans' performance showcased their growth against high ranked opponents and will look to build on the performance against Pratt this Wednesday (Jan. 7).