National News

 October 30, 2009

HCC Sports Information

It's been a big week already for the Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team.

First, the Lady Dragons were picked to win the Jayhawk West and then earned their first NJCAA national Top-10 ranking in 31 years. Now the Lady Dragons gave their first ever preseason first-team All-American.

Sophomore guard Heather Robben earned that honor as the NJCAA released its Preseason All-America list on Thursday. Robben is a 5-foot-9 guard from Wichita (Maize High School) who became the HCC women's basketball program's second All-American last season earning honorable mention honors in leading the Lady Dragons to a Region VI championship and a NJCAA National Tournament appearance.

"This is a tremendous accomplishment for Heather," HCC head coach John Ontjes said. "It's due to a lot of hard work and effort on her part and a lot of determination and teamwork."

Robben averaged 14.7 points per game as a freshman. Her 543 points scored were a freshman team record and was the fourth all-time in a single season. Her career high was a 27-point effort against Shelton State in the NJCAA Tournament.

She had eight 20-point games and four double-doubles.

Robben shot 41.5 percent from the field (176 of 424) and was 57 of 173 from 3-point range (32.9 percent. She sank 134 of 154 free throws last season. With her 87.0-percent free-throw shooting average, Robben set a new freshman record and just missed the single-season mark by 0.6 percent.

Robben also averaged 5.95 rebounds per game (220 total) with 92 assists, 58 steals and 18 blocked shots.

Robben had single-game highs of 16 rebound (Cloud County), seven assists (Neosho County), three blocked shots (Barton) and four steals (two times).

"She's been a special player for us," Ontjes said. "She comes to practice every day with a great attitude not only to improve her game, but to make her team better."

The HCC sophomore was the only Jayhawk West player listed in the NJCAA preseason Top 30 players. Independence's Sadie Webb was a second-team selection and Fort Scott's Valencia Kelly was named to the third team.