Women's Basketball Set for Region 6 Quarterfinals at No. 13 Hutchinson

The Colby Trojans women's basketball team continues its postseason run Tuesday (March 10)  evening as the Trojans travel to face Hutchinson in the quarterfinal round of the 2026 NJCAA Region 6 Women's Basketball Tournament. The sixth-seeded Trojans (16–15) will take on the nationally ranked No. 13 and third-seeded Blue Dragons (25–5) at 6 p.m. inside the Hutchinson Sports Arena. 

Colby enters the matchup after advancing through the opening round of the Region 6 Tournament with a 58–42 victory over Pratt. The Trojans used a strong second half to pull away in that contest, highlighted by a 30-point performance from Dessirae Ulmer to secure the postseason win.

Offensively, the Trojans are led by Dessirae Ulmer, who averages a team-high 14.3 points per game while also contributing 6.9 rebounds per contest. Freshman Olivia Hultgren provides another scoring threat for Colby, averaging 10.2 points per game this season. Jera Kruleski adds additional offensive production with nine points per game while knocking down nearly two three-pointers per contest. Sophomore Piri Lewis leads the Trojans in playmaking, averaging 3.7 assists per game while also contributing 3.4 rebounds per outing.

The Trojans now face a Hutchinson squad that enters the tournament riding a 10-game winning streak after defeating Fort Hays Tech Northwest 76–50 in its regular season finale. Hutchinson earned an opening-round bye in the tournament and will be playing its first postseason game Tuesday night.

The two teams met twice during the regular season, with the Blue Dragons winning both matchups. Hutchinson defeated the Trojans 64–55 in Colby on January 3 before earning a 50–42 win in Hutchinson on February 18. Despite the regular-season results, the Trojans will look to build on the momentum from their opening-round victory as they attempt to advance further in the Region 6 bracket.

The winner of Tuesday's quarterfinal matchup will move on to the Region 6 semifinals Friday at Fleske Fieldhouse, facing the winner of the Dodge City Community College and Barton Community College quarterfinal game.