Dustin Armbruster
Hays High returned to the road on Tuesday night to play rival Great Bend. For the girls it was a second meeting in the season, after Hays beat Great Bend in the third place game of the Hays City Shootout in December. It was the first of two meetings between the two boys teams.
Girls
Great Bend 54 – Hays 41
Hays struggled to score in the first quarter scoring hitting just 2 of 12 shots and trailed 15-4 after the first eight minutes. Great Bend used runs of 7-2 and 8-0 in the first quarter to gain control. Hays cut the lead down to five by scoring the first six points of the second quarter only to have Great Bend once again take an 11 point lead. Great Bend at one point hit 11 consecutive free throws and finished the first half 13-20. Hays was just 4-12 from the free throw line and trailed 26-18.
Highlights
Hays cut the lead down to six at 26-20 on the first possession of the third quarter, but Great Bend answered with another 8-0 lead and built their lead to a high of 15 by the end of the third quarter at 39-24. Great Bend built their lead up to 18 with less than six minutes to go before Hays was able to cut it back down to 46-34. The Indians never got much closer as they fell 54-41 to Great Bend.
Coach Kirk Maska
The Panthers were 27-46 from the free throw line while Hays made just 9 of 21 attempts. Savannah Schneider led the way for the Indians with 10 points. Hays falls to 4-3 on the year and 0-2 in Western Athletic Conference play. Great Bend improves to 6-2 and have won five straight games. The Panthers are 3-0 in the WAC.
Boys
Hays 51 – Great Bend 37
Hays hit four first quarter three pointers on their way to a nine point lead at 14-5. Great Bend scored the final five points of the quarter to tighten the game back up at 14-10 after the first quarter. Hays added three more three pointers in the second quarter building their lead up to 28-15 by half time. Claiborne Kyles hit four threes in the first half and Cole Murphy added three more.
Highlights
The Indians lead never shrunk under 11 rest of the night. Hays pushed their advantage to 20 early in the fourth quarter. Great Bend went on their best run of the night with 12-3 run over four minutes, but Hays hit three of their final four free throws and won 51-37.
Coach Rick Keltner
Hays put three in double figures with Claiborne Kyles leading the way with 14, hitting four three pointers. Cole Murphy added a career high 14, he also hit four three pointers. Tyrese Hill tied his career high with 12. Hays shot 50% in the victory and held Great Bend to 36%. The Indians improve to 6-1 and 1-1 in the Western Athletic Conference. Great Bend falls to 1-7 and 0-3.
Hays returns home on Friday to play Garden City.