By Dustin Armbruster
Hays High returned to Western Athletic Conference play on Friday night with their longest road trip of the season. For the Lady Indians Friday night was a chance to move into a tie for third place in the WAC and surpass their win total from the previous season. For the Indians Friday was an opportunity to put two games between themselves and the rest of the conference for the league crown.
Girls: Liberal 42 – Hays 38
Hays took their only lead of the first half with a Haley George basket with 5:50 left in the first quarter. It was the only basket of the first eight minutes for Hays. Liberal scored the next nine points to take 9-2 lead.
The Lady Indians cut the Liberal lead down to three at 9-6 and had three chances to score but missed two shots and turned over the ball. Liberal responded with a 7-2 run to build their biggest lead of the first half at 16-8. Hays scored the final four points of the half to make the score 35-23.
Highlights
Hays and Liberal traded baskets and free throw for the first six minutes of the third quarter leaving Hays down 25-21. Liberal seized control of the game with a 13-2 run that extended into the fourth quarter with a three pointer to take 38-23 advantage.
Coach Kirk Maska
Hays went on their best run of the game with nine straight points to get the lead down to 38-32. Hays held Liberal with a basket on their next five trips, but Hays could not take advantage. Hays did get within five at 39-34 with 1:20 left, but could not get any closer. Liberal hit three of their final four free throws to win 42-34.
Hays falls to 6-10 on the year and 1-4 in conference. Liberal is 9-7 and 3-2. The Lady Indians were led by Audra Schmeidler’s double-double 13 points and 10 rebounds. It is her fourth double-double of the season and eighth of her career.
Boys Liberal 57 – Hays 51 3OT
Liberal held an early 5-4 lead over the Hays High Indians over the first three minutes of the game. An 8-2 run by the the Indians built their biggest lead of the first quarter at 12-7. Liberal though had an answer in the form of a 9-2 run that lasted into the second quarter and gave the Redskins a 16-14 lead. Hays responded with a run of their own, this time a 7-1 to build their biggest lead of the first half at 23-17. Liberal responded with a three to cut the lead at 23-20 for the half time score.
Highlights
Hays pushed their lead to six after three quarter and scored a basket in the first ten seconds of the fourth quarter to build the biggest lead of the game at eight, leading 33-25. Liberal regained the lead with nine straight points, seven of them from the free throw line. Trailing 34-33, Hays got five straight points from Shane Berens to take a four point lead. The Indians led 40-37 in the final minute of the game, but missed the front end of two one-and-one free throw opportunities to build the lead. Liberal got a three point with six seconds remaining and took a timeout allowing Hays to set up a final play. A Drew Young lay up came off the rim, but was tipped up and in by Isaiah Nunnery. The shot though was ruled to be after the buzzer and the game went to overtime.
Coach Rick Keltner
Tied at 43 in the first overtime, Hays missed four free throws over the last 1:25 and Liberal missed a three to win at the buzzer. Hays led twice in the double overtime period only to fall behind 49-47 inside of two minutes. Hays tied the game at 49 with 1:40 remaining. Liberal worked down the remaining time in double OT but missed shot again at the buzzer.
In triple overtime Hays took a 51-50 lead with 2:50 remaining, but that would be their final points. Liberal finished on a seven point run taking the win at 57-51.
Hays was led by the 12 of Keith Dryden. Shane Berens and Isaiah Nunnery scored 11, Nunnery added a game high 10 rebounds for the double-double. Marcus Altman scored a career high 10, all in the first half.
The Indians shot 41% for the game making 21 of 51 shots while Liberal was 17 of 48 for 35%. Hays was out shot at the free throw line 29-8. Hays was 1-8 while Liberal made 19 of 29.
Hays falls to 13-3 on the year. Liberal is now 12-4. The two are now tied at 4-1 in conference play with three games remaining for each. The Indians are the #6 team in 4A-1, it was their third straight game against a ranked 5A opponent. Liberal was #6 entering the game. The Indians are home versus state ranked Abilene on Tuesday.