Pratt Ends Playoff Hopes with Loss to Hutch

The PCC Men's Basketball Team fell to Hutch 60-62 on Wednesday, and so did their hopes to grab the eighth playoff berth in the Regional Tournamnent.  Pratt trailed by a few for most of the second half, but tied the game on a Taner Hayes three with 1:23 remaining.  From there Justin Ikhide, who had 7 of Pratt's last 10 points, would score only one more basket while Hutch made half their free throws to secure the win.
 
Pratt actually outshot Hutch for the game, going 24 of 58 for 41 percent to Hutch's 22/58 for 38 percent.  The Beavers lost the rebounding battle 34-43.  Pratt had one of their lowest turnover nights of the season, with only 10.  However, Hutch only had 9.  Pratt profited by Hutch's poor free throw shooting, as they only hit 48 percent.  Hutch made up for that by getting 17 second chance points to Pratt's 7.
 
The Beavers were led by the injured Terry Taylor, who returned to some semblance of his former self with a 14 point effort.  Nikolas Skouen did not have a productive night, going 4 of 16 from the field and 3 of 13 from beyond the arc.  Still he scored 11, as did Justin Ikhide on 4 of 7 from the field and 3 of 5 from the line. 
 
It was Ikhide's hot hand that the Beavers went to for the game's last shot.  He had been having his way inside down the stretch, and they gave it to him again.  He easily got to the rim, but the shot rolled off and was batted outside by Hutch to end the game.
 
It was a tough blow for the Beavers who had battled adversity late in the season and felt they could get in the playoffs and make a run of it.  They will now end their season playing for pride as they travel to Great Bend to play Barton on Saturday at 8:00pm.