Lady Trojans’ Second-Half Surge Falls Short Against Hutchinson
January 3, 2026
The Colby Community College Lady Trojans returned to action following the holiday break on January 3, hosting Hutchinson Community College at the Colby Event Center in a conference matchup that ultimately slipped away late, as the Blue Dragons pulled out a 64–55 victory.
Colby entered the game facing one of the top teams in the conference and found itself playing from behind for much of the night. Hutchinson controlled the early tempo and built a modest cushion through the first half, leading 36–29 at the break. Despite the deficit, the Trojans remained composed and showed signs of life defensively as the game wore on.
Click below to support The Sunflower Standard
The turning point came in the third quarter, where Colby delivered its most complete stretch of basketball. Applying consistent pressure on the perimeter and forcing Hutchinson into less comfortable possessions, the Trojans chipped away at the deficit possession by possession. That effort culminated late in the quarter when Colby finally drew even at 48–48 with 1:45 remaining, igniting the home crowd. The quarter closed with the teams deadlocked at 50–50, with Colby outscoring Hutchinson 21–14 in the period and clearly carrying momentum into the fourth.
That momentum, however, proved difficult to sustain. The opening minutes of the final quarter were stagnant offensively for Colby, while Hutchinson began to reassert control inside. The Trojans trailed by four with six minutes remaining, still within striking distance, but a series of costly mistakes followed. Back-to-back defensive possessions resulted in fouls on shooters, allowing Hutchinson to extend the lead at the free-throw line. As the clock continued to wind down, Colby struggled to generate clean looks, and when shots did not fall, the Trojans were unable to get defensive stops without sending Hutchinson back to the stripe.
Turnovers loomed large in the final outcome. Colby committed 20 turnovers on the night, leading directly to 29 points for Hutchinson, compared to just 10 points off turnovers for the Trojans. While Colby shot efficiently from the field and the three-point line, those extra possessions ultimately tilted the game.
Sophomore forward Dessirae Ulmer anchored Colby’s effort, finishing with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and multiple defensive plays that helped fuel the third-quarter surge. Olivia Hultgren added 14 points, including key three-pointers during the comeback, while Easha Potts contributed nine points and timely rebounds in the paint. Despite matching Hutchinson on the boards and holding its own defensively for long stretches, Colby was outscored 14–5 in the fourth quarter as execution slipped late.
Following the game, head coach Darin Spence pointed to self-inflicted errors as the deciding factor against a high-level opponent.
“We fought hard against the 19th ranked team and had a chance. But did we really?” Spence said. “We can’t give up 29 points on our turnovers and really have a chance against a high level opponent. Defensively we were pretty good for the most part, which always gives a chance. The turnovers cost us big time and they weren’t forced by their defense.”
Spence also highlighted Ulmer’s performance as a standard for the group moving forward.
“When Dessirae plays with a warrior attitude she is one of the best in this conference, if not the country,” he said. “Her challenge is to be consistent in that effort. She was the one stable contributor in that game.”
Colby now turns its attention back to conference play with an opportunity to build on the defensive intensity shown in the second half, while focusing on cleaner execution as the schedule continues.