Dustin Armbruster
Hays High and Liberal had their games delayed by a day when mother nature dumped snow on southwest Kansas Thursday night and Friday morning. The two met on Saturday with all four teams ranked. The Liberal girls entered the game #10 in Class 5A while the Hays girls entered the rankings at #10 in 4A-I right before Christmas break. The Liberal boys entered 2017
Girls
Liberal 59 – Hays 44
Liberal scored the first seven points of the game as Hays tried to knock the rust off after not playing since December 13th. Liberal built their lead up to eight at 10-2 before the Indians answered back with eight straight over the final two minutes of the first quarter and first basket of the second quarter. The lead changed hands nine times in the second quarter and tied six more times. The teams entered the locker rooms at half time tied at 27 a piece.
Highlights
Hays took their biggest lead of the third quarter at 33-30 when Talyn Kleweno hit her first three pointer of the game. Liberal outscored Hays 15-7 rest of the quarter to build their lead to 42-37. Hays did not score in the fourth quarter until there was 2:22 left in the game. During that time Liberal scored twelve points, building their lead to 54-37. Hays would be outscored 32-17 in the second half, falling 59-44.
Coach Kirk Maska
Kallie Leiker led the Indians with 11 points. Jaycee Dale and Talyn Kleweno each added 10. Hays will be back on the road Tuesday to play conference leader Great Bend. The Indians fall to 4-2 on the season and 0-1 in the WAC. Liberal improves to 6-1 and 1-0.
Boys
Liberal 70 – Hays 42
Hays showed little rust out of the winter break taking an early 9-3 lead on three pointers by three different players in Liberal. Hays built their lead up to seven at 14-7 with 1:30 left. Hays would score just 11 points the remainder of the half. Liberal went on a 22-2 run through the first four minutes of the second quarter. The Redskins built the lead as high as 18 at 39-21 before Hays scored the final four points of the quarter to trail at halftime 39-25.
Highlights
Things got worse for Hays in the third quarter being outscored 23-7 after being outscored 23-9 in the second quarter. Liberal pushed the lead as high has 32 at 62-30. With Hays trailing 62-32 entering the fourth quarter, the clock ran continuous outside of time outs and Hays fell 70-42.
Coach Rick Keltner
Claiborne Kyles scored 14 for the Indians while Liberal put five in double figures. Hays falls to 5-1 on the season and starts conference play at 0-1. Liberal improves to 7-0 and 1-0. Hays High is back on the road Tuesday in Great Bend.