By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER
Hays Post

Girls: DeSoto 37 Hays 30
It looked like it just might happen. Starting the season on a 22 game losing streak, the Hays High Lady Indians to a 4-0 lead in the first quarter and expanded it to a 22-11 halftime advantage over DeSoto Thursday night. Hays took their biggest lead at 13 midway through the third quarter at 26-13, but DeSoto finally got shots to start falling. DeSoto outscored the Lady Indians 24-4 rest of the way to advance out of the first round of the Gerald Mitchell Hays City Shootout.

University of South Dakota signee Megan Bonar led the game in scoring with 17. Audra Schmeidler led the Indians with nine. Hays shot 35% from the floor but could not overcome their 27 turnovers, 18 coming in the second half.

Hays will play Colby in the consolation semi-final Friday at Hays Middle School at 6:30.

Boys: Hays 65 DeSoto 53
A new season with new faces for both Hays and Desoto led to a feeling out period over the first quarter of play Thursday night at Hays High School. After swapping the lead back and forth over the first four minutes of the game, Hays took a 10-8 lead and never trailed again. The Indians used a 11-3 run to grab their first double digit lead with 2:30 remaining before halftime, but didn’t score for the rest of the half and led 23-15 at the break.

Both teams started to find their touch in the third quarter as Hays outscored DeSoto 28-20 in the third quarter alone. Hays never led by less than 10 points rest of the game winning 65-53.

Cash Hobson scored a game high 17 in his first career start. Isaiah Nunnery scored 16 and Keith Dryden added 10 points.

Hays shot 42% from the field make 16 of 38 shots. DeSoto shot 43%, 20 of 46. Hays though created the scoring gap at the free throw line. The Indians made 22 of 44 free throws. DeSoto shot just 11 making 8.

Hays will play Great Bend Friday night at 8:15 in the semi-finals.