DODGE CITY, Kan. (Interstat) — A spot in the Plains District championship game and a berth in the NJCAA Division I national tournament will be on the line Friday when the seed Dodge City Conquistadors host the seed Hutchinson Blue Dragons in a women’s junior college basketball semifinal.

The matchup, set for March 13, 2026, features two of the region’s top teams. Dodge City (24-4) enters with the slightly better overall record, but Hutchinson (23-5) won the most recent meeting between the rivals, 60-51 at home on Feb. 11. The Conquistadors, however, handed the Blue Dragons their most lopsided loss of the season, 79-57, in Dodge City on Dec. 10.

The game is expected to hinge on a clash of star forwards. Hutchinson will rely on Noelle Anthon, who is coming off a strong performance in the team’s 74-65 tournament opening win over Colby on Tuesday, where she posted 17 points and nine rebounds in 25 minutes.

Dodge City counters with the dynamic Manuela Piljevic, one of the nation’s most potent scorers. Piljevic averaged 21.2 points over her final six regular-season games, including a 32-point outburst in a key road win at Seward County on March 4. She was instrumental in the Conquistadors’ 69-60 victory over Barton on Tuesday, scoring 24 points to go with six rebounds and four assists.

Both teams ride significant momentum into the semifinal. Hutchinson has won eight straight games since a Jan. 26 loss to Butler, with their defense holding opponents to an average of 52.1 points during that stretch. Dodge City has won 10 of its last 11, with the only blemish a 67-53 home loss to Butler on Feb. 25.

The winner will advance to the Plains District final on Saturday, March 14, with a trip to the NJCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship in Lubbock, Texas, at stake.