Dustin Armbruster
Hays High continued the second half of Western Athletic Conference play as they traveled to Dodge City on Tuesday night. It was senior night for the Red Demons as they played their final home game of the season. Both the Hays girls and boys teams needed a pair of wins in the final week to keep chances of top two finish in the WAC possible and both teams were also battling for the second seed in next week’s sub-state tournament.
Girls
Hays 42 – Dodge City 38
Hays turned the ball over eight times in the first quarter and found themselves down 10-3 six minutes into the game. The Indians though scored the only five points of the final two minutes of the quarter to get back within two at 10-8.
Hays High turned those two points into a 13-0 run that lasted over half way through the second quarter. The run built the Indian’s lead up to six at 16-10. Dodge City answered back with their second run of the half outscoring Hays 8-3 over the final three and a half minutes of the second quarter to make it 19-18 at half time.
Highlights
Each team took turns building three point leads in the third quarter before the Red Demons scored the final three points of the quarter to go up 29-27.
Hays held Dodge City to two made field goals in sixteen fourth quarter attempts, helping the Hays offense take the lead. Brooke Denning made three three pointers in the second half, each giving the Indians the lead. The second three point basket put Hays up 33-32 and the third gave the Indians the lead for good at 38-35 with 1:45 left in the game. Hays made four of their final six free throws to seal the 42-38 victory. Dodge City cut a five point Hays lead down to two on a Tia Bradshaw three pointer, but Savannah Schneider answered with a pair of free throws for the game’s final points.
Coach Kirk Maska
Hays was led by the 11 of Schneider and career high 10 of Brooke Denning. The two combined for all five of the Indian’s three point field goals. Tia Bradshaw scored a game high 20 for Dodge City. Hays improves to 11-8 overall and 4-3 in the conference. Dodge City falls to 6-13 and 2-5. It is the third time that Hays has beaten Dodge City this year.
Boys
Hays 48 – Dodge City 39
Dodge City’s zone gave Hays plenty of chances to shoot three pointers in the first quarter and the Indians obliged by taking 10 and making three. Hays took the lead for the first time a the third three pointer to lead 12-9 after the first quarter.
The Indians held the lead for the entire second quarter and built it up to seven at 19-12 with just under two minutes left in the half. After Hays built the lead to seven Dodge City hit back to back field goals that included their first made three pointer of the game and cut the lead down to 19-17 in favor of Hays at halftime.
Highlights
Hays pushed their lead to five on two occasions in the third quarter. Dodge City answered with their best run of the second half scoring seven straight points with back to back three pointers to take the lead at 28-26. After a scoreless first half Shane Berens scored five points in the third quarter, which included a buzzer beating three pointer to put Hays back up 29-28 heading to the fourth quarter.
Claiborne Kyles threw down a right handed dunk that put Hays up by five early in the fourth quarter. Dodge City got the game down to a single possession three times with the final coming at 35-33, midway through the fourth quarter. Berens went on his own personal 7-2 run to provide the Indians with a five point lead at 42-35. Dodge City put Hays at the line eight times in the final ninety seconds, where the Indians made six free throws and win 48-39.
Coach Rick Keltner
Shane Berens led the Indians with a double-double at 12 points and 11 rebounds. Claiborne Kyles scored 11. Hays improves to 13-6 overall and 5-2 in conference play. Dodge City falls to 3-16 and 1-6. The Red Demons were led by Hunter Heath with 11.
Hays returns home on Friday for Senior Night as they close out the regular season versus Great Bend.