Trojans Open New Year with Statement Home Win Over Hutchinson
January 3, 2026
Colby Community College men’s basketball opened the calendar year with one of its most complete performances of the season, defeating Hutchinson Community College 89–79 on Saturday, January 3, at the Colby Event Center.
The Trojans set the tone early and never relinquished control, building a nine-point halftime lead and stretching the margin to as many as 19 points in the second half before closing out the Blue Dragons at the free-throw line late. The win marked a conference victory and pushed Colby’s home record to 4–3 on the season.
Colby jumped out quickly behind efficient interior play and ball movement, taking a 44–35 advantage into the locker room. The Trojans shot over 53 percent from the floor for the game and knocked down 10 three-pointers, while also winning the rebounding battle 33–26. Hutchinson struggled to match Colby’s shooting efficiency, finishing at 46.9 percent overall and just 28.6 percent from beyond the arc.
Giannis Asimakopoulos delivered a breakout performance for the Trojans, leading all scorers with 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including four three-pointers. Aliou Diallo provided a spark off the bench with 17 points, five assists, and three steals, consistently attacking the rim and converting at the free-throw line. Nana Keutcha controlled the paint with 13 points and nine rebounds, while D.J. Cason added 12 points and Kellan Simoneau chipped in eight.
Colby’s depth proved decisive. The Trojans scored 56 bench points compared to just 10 from Hutchinson, allowing them to maintain pressure throughout the game and weather a late push from the Blue Dragons.
Hutchinson was led by Kyrell Shaw, who poured in a game-high 32 points, and Daleron Thomas, who added 20. The Blue Dragons attempted to claw back in the final minutes by forcing turnovers and attacking the basket, but Colby remained composed down the stretch.
Head coach Jerrod Stanford credited his team’s preparation and execution, particularly their ability to stay composed when Hutchinson cut into the lead late.
“It was a great game, and I’m really proud of our guys coming out ready to go and being connected,” Stanford said. “There was tremendous energy, and while they made a push late, I didn’t think we panicked. We stayed level-headed, got stops, and made free throws when we needed to.”
Colby finished 19-of-24 from the free-throw line and made key defensive stops in the closing minutes to seal the win. Despite committing 19 turnovers, the Trojans consistently answered Hutchinson baskets with timely scoring runs and never allowed the momentum to fully swing.
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The victory snapped a challenging stretch and gave Colby positive momentum heading deeper into conference play. Stanford noted that while the team would have preferred to close the game earlier, the late-game execution was a valuable learning moment.
“It would’ve been nice to close it out earlier, but we stepped up, made the free throws, and closed it out,” he said. “I’m really proud of how our guys handled adversity and look forward to building on this.”
Colby will look to carry that momentum into its next home conference matchup as the Trojans continue a January schedule heavy with league opponent, next with Pratt in town to challenge the Trojans at the Colby Event Center on Wednesday.