By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER
Hays Post
Girls
Salina Central 59 – Hays 42
For a fourth consecutive game, one bad quarter blew open a close game for the Hays High Lady Indians. Hays, trying to snap an eight game losing streak, was taking on one of the best class 5A has to offer. Salina Central came in ranked 6th and 11-3 on the season.
Hays hung with the Lady Mustangs early after falling behind 5-0. The Lady Indians surged to tied the game at eight with three minutes to go in the first quarter. Central responded by closing the quarter on a 7-2 run taking a 15-10 lead.
Highlights
Hays stayed close through the second quarter and had the ball twice down by one point at 20-19, but failed to scored on either occasion. But still they trailed by just six at half time 25-19.
Hays kept the deficit at six midway through the third quarter, when Central closed on a 10-0 running to go up 44-28. Hays never got closer than 13 points in the fourth quarter, losing 59-42.
Coach Kirk Maska
Audra Schmeidler led the Indians with 13. Talyn Kleweno scored in double figures for the first time with 11.
Hays falls to 3-12 on the year. Salina Central is 12-3.
Boys
Salina Central 49 – Hays 46
Hays and Salina Central played to two close games last season, and on Tuesday night they did again. Salina Central came into the game as one of the hottest teams in the state having won nine straight games. It was also a show down of state ranked teams with Hays at #10 in 4A-D1 and Central #3 in 5A.
Hays jumped out to a five point lead on three different occasions in the first half, the last coming at 15-10 in the second quarter. Central tied the game at 18 and again at 20 with 1:55 to go in the half. Salina Central then would score five point with out the Indians ever getting a possession. The Mustangs hit three of four free throws, two from a technical foul, and then a basket during a 13-2 run. Hays fell behind by seven before two free throws pulled the gap back to five at half time 27-22.
Highlights
Hays again fell behind seven early in the third quarter 31-24, but then fought back. Brady Werth scored 11 of the Indians 13 third quarter points to pull with in two, 37-35. The Indians tied the game at 39 with 6:31 remaining in the game, but never took the lead. Free throw shooting became an issue for both Hays and Central down the stretch. Hays made just 5 of their final attempts, two of which would have tied the game at different scores. Central made three of their final six in trying to put the game away in the final forty seconds. Hays had the ball with 1.8 seconds remaining, but never got off a shot, falling 49-46.
Coach Rick Keltner
Hays falls to 10-5, losing three of their last four games to Scott City, Salina South, and Salina Central. Central has now won ten in a row, and hasn’t lost since the calendar turned to 2015. The Mustangs are 12-3.
Brady Werth was the only Indian in double figures with 24.
Hays will play at home again on Friday taking on Liberal.