Hays began the final week of the regular season by hosting Dodge City on Senior Night. The Lady Indians honored two seniors, Chaylee Lix and Tara Hertel. The boys recognized Cole Murphy, Ethan Nunnery, Peyton Kieffer, Nick Fisher, and Kyler Koenke.
Girls
#8 Hays 48 – Dodge City 38
Neither team played a clean first quarter with Dodge City committing nine turnovers and Hays making just three of twelve shots. The result was a tie game after the first eight minutes with each team scoring six points. Hays took their only first half lead at 8-6 with a basket at the 6:30 mark of the second quarter. The Lady Indians would score just three more points for the remainder of the quarter. The Lady Demons took a 20-11 half time lead following a 14-3 run to close the half.
Highlights
Dodge City pushed their lead to ten points on three different occasions. The final one came with 5:30 to go in third quarter at 24-14. The Lady Indians finally found their offense. A 14-2 run gave Hays their first lead of the game at 28-26. The run lasted 2:49 and the fourteen points totaled the Lady Indians scoring from the first nineteen minutes of the game.
Dodge City answered with five free throws to take the lead back at 31-28, but four points from Brooke Denning in the final thirty seconds of the quarter put the Lady Indians up 32-31 headed to the fourth quarter. A free throw from Dodge City tied the game at 32 early in the fourth quarter. Hays quickly started a 12-0 run to take the lead for good and finished with a 48-38 victory.
Brooke Denning led the team with 13 points. Savannah Schneider scored 12 and Isabel Robben added 10. The #8 Lady Indians are 12-7 on the year and remain in second place in the Western Athletic Conference at 5-2. Dodge City falls to 10-9 and 4-3. The Lady Demons were led by Chidera Okoro with 19 points and 13 rebounds.
Boys
Hays 92 – Dodge City 80
Hays seemed to do no wrong in the first half. After tailing 9-5 the Indians went on a 19-3 run. That run gave Hays their first double digit lead at 24-12 and would lead 24-18 at the end of the first quarter. Dodge City pulled the Hays lead down to three before the Indians went on another massive run. This time an 18-3 run built the Indians to eighteen three times including the 50-32 half time score.
Highlights
Hays had their lead up to 22 in the third quarter, the latest with 1:30 to go in the third quarter. Dodge City wouldn’t let the Indians claim their title easily. The Red Demons went on a 15-3 run get within ten at 74-64. The Indians didn’t allow the score to get any closer as they win 92-80.
The victory secures the Western Athletic Conference crown for Hays High. The Indians are 7-0 in conference play and 13-6 overall. Dodge City drops to 9-10 and 2-5.
Coach Rick Keltner
Cole Murphy scored 21 points including five three pointers. Ethan Nunnery added 18, Peyton Kieffer 14, Cade Swayne 11 and Tradgon McCrae 10. Dodge City was led by John Johnson with 21 points.
Hays travels to Great Bend on Friday to close out the regular season.