Girls
Hays 55 – Salina South 50
Neither Hays or Salina South could find separation from each other in the first half. Tied four times and two lead changes, it was the Lady Cougars who found their way to a lead by halftime 23-22. Hays used a 11-3 run that gave the Lady Indians the first of three different six point leads. The last came at 20-14 with 4:10 left in the half. South though ended the half on a 9-2 run in the last three minutes of the half for their half time lead.
Highlights
Salina South pushed their lead to six on back to back three pointers two minutes into the third quarter. Hays continued to trail by five when Isabel Robben scored eight straight the Lady Indians to take a 35-34 lead. South hit a pair of free throws to regain the lead 36-35 heading to the fourth quarter.
The game featured eleven ties and five lead changes. The final lead change game when Brooke Denning hit her second three pointer of the game for a 44-42 lead. South tied the game one final time at 44 with 1:41 left. Tasiah Nunnery scored four straight, two from the free throw line and two off a Kallie Leiker steal, to start a 11-4 run that secured the Hays victory.
Coach Kirk Maska
The Lady Indians shot 17 of 20 from the free throw line and made seven of their final eight in the last 1:11 of the game. Hays moves to 9-5 on the year, snapping a four game skid. South falls to 4-9. Isabel Robben led the Lady Indians in scoring with 15. Tasiah Nunnery put in 12 and three more players scored eight or nine points.
Boys
Hays 66 – Salina South 56
Salina South took an early 2-0 lead on an offensive rebound put back. Hays answered with a three pointer twenty seconds later to take a lead they held for the remainder of the first half. Tradgon McCrae scored 12 points in the first half to help Hays to a 31-24 lead. Hays led 8-7 during first quarter play before the Indians went on a 12-3 run over a 8:50 span to build their biggest first half lead at 11.
Highlights
Hays opened the second half with two quick three pointers and then a third two minutes later to build their biggest lead of the game at 40-26. Salina South though would never let the Indians get comfortable with the lead. The Cougars closed the gap down to six in the third quarter, before Hays scored four points in the final minute of the third quarter to lead 47-37.
The Indians pushed their lead up to 12 early in the fourth quarter, but South continued to fight back. After going up 52-40 with six minutes left in the game, the Indians had their lead trimmed down to four following at Cougar 10-2 run. The Indians never let South get any closer outscoring the Cougars 12-6 over the final three minutes.
Coach Rick Keltner
Hays improves to 9-5 on the season behind a game high 20 points from Tradgon McCrae. Cole Murphy scored 15 on five three pointers and Ethan Nunnery added 10. South falls to 2-11.
The Hays High girls and boys head to Dodge City on Friday as the leaders in the Western Athletic Conference at 3-0.