By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER
Hays Post
Girls
Great Bend 42 – Hays 36.
The Hays High Lady Indians scored the first points of the game against Great Bend off the tip-off to take a 2-0 lead Tuesday night. Hays though wouldn’t score for the remainder of the first quarter and looked to be on their way to a rough night against the Panthers. The Lady Indians however fought back. After falling behind 14-2 early in the second quarter, Hays wend on a 10-1 run to get within three at 15-12. Hays and Great Bend swapped 5-0 runs to end the first half, leaving Hays trailing 20-17 at half time.
Game Highlights
Great Bend opened up a seven point lead in the third quarter, but Hays close the third on a 13-5 run to take the lead 32-31 after three. Ashlyn Parrish capped the run with a three pointer as time expired in the third quarter. Hays then built their lead to four at 36-32 with 5:15 remaining in the game. The Lady Indians though wouldn’t score again. Great Bend ended the game on a 10-0 run to take a 42-36 victory.
Hays falls to 3-5 overall and 0-2 in the Western Athletic Conference. Great Bend improves to 5-2 and 2-0. The Lady Panthers are the defending conference champions.
Kirk Maska Postgame Interview
The Lady Indians were led by Audra Schmeidler who scored 13 points and grabbed a career high 14 rebounds. It was her third career double-double. Great Bend got a game high 14 from Lauren Welch and 13 points and 10 rebounds from Regan Unruh.
Hays was 14 of 47 from the field and 2 for 13 on three pointers. Great Bend was 14 of 49 and 5 for 21 on 3’s. Neither team shot free throws well, Hays was 6 of 13 and Great Bend was 9 of 28.
Boys
Hays 65 – Great Bend 40
Coach Rick Keltner wanted to see his team play tougher than they did the first time Hays and Great Bend met up this year. Back in the second game of the season, Hays beat Great Bend 54-50 in the semi-finals of the Hays City Shootout. Tuesday night, coach Keltner liked the improvement of his team in a 65-40 over the Panthers.
Great Bend led early at 2-0 and 4-2, but Hays went on a 17-0 run that lasted into the second quarter. Isaiah Nunnery scored eleven straight points as part of that run. Great Bend got the game back to single digits just twice in the second quarter, but never closer. Hays High established their biggest lead of the first half with a Keith Dryden three from the corner as the first half clock expired to give Hays a 30-14 lead.
Game Highlights
Hays never let Great Bend back into the ball game in the second half, building their lead as high as 23 in the third quarter.
Hays improves to 7-1 on the season and 2-0 in conference play. Great Bend has dropped six straight games and is 1-6 overall and 0-2 in the WAC.
Rick Keltner Postgame Interview
Isaiah Nunnery tied his career high with 23. Cash Hobson added 14. Both Nunnery and Hobson had four three pointers each. Brady Werth scored 12 points, grabbed a team high 6 rebounds and blocked 7 shots. Great Bend was led by Jacob Murray who had four second half three pointers, scoring 12 points on the night.
Hays shot 59 percent from the field, making 24 of 41 field goals. The Indians were 9 for 17 beyond the arc. Great Bend heated up in the second half and shot 40% for the game, on 17 of 42 from the field. The Panthers made four of nine three point tries.
Hays will host Garden City on Friday. The Garden City boys are 3-0 in conference play and Hays is 2-0.