Hays High opened the 36th Annual Gerald Mitchell Shootout with Great Bend on Thursday evening.
Girls
Hays 79 – Great Bend 44
Hays sprinted out of the gates with a 12-0 run over the first two minutes of the game against Great Bend. The Indians pushed their advantage up to 18 in the first quarter at 25-7. Great Bend scored the final two points of the first quarter and turned those points into a 16-2 run over midway through the second quarter. The Panthers pulled within four points twice at 27-23 and 29-25. Hays though ended the first half on a 10-4 run and lead 37-27 at halftime.
Highlights
The Indians never led by less than ten points in the second half, eventually using a 12-3 run to push the lead as high as 20 by the end of the third quarter. Hays outscored Great Bend 42-17 in the second half and win 79-44.
Hays was led in scoring by Savannah Schneider with 21 and Brooke Denning came off the bench to score 16. Alex Hutchins played 12 in the game and 10 different Indians scored.
Coach Alex Hutchins
Hays starts the year at 1-0 and Great Bend 0-1. Hays will face Manhattan in the championship semi-finals at 5:15.
Boys
Hays 74 – Great Bend 58
Hays never trailed in the first half as the two teams traded a first quarter before Hays took the lead at 5-2. Hays used a 7-1 run midway through the first quarter to build their lead up to 14-7. The Indians had the ball four times but couldn’t expand their advantage. Hays settled for a 14-9 lead after the first quarter. Great Bend scored the last two points of the first quarter and first five points of the second quarter to tie the game at 14. The Indians scored six quick points to regain their advantage and moved the lead to 35-27 at half for the biggest lead of the first half.
Highlights
Hays led by double figures for nearly the entire second half. The Indians used runs of 8-0, 7-2 and 9-2 to push their lead over 20 where it remained for most of the fourth quarter before winning 74-58. The Indians shot 44% on the evening and never trailed in the game. Great Bend shot 36%.
Tradgon McCrae led the way with 18, Braiden Meyers scored 12 on four three points field goals while TJ Nunnery came off the bench to score 10.
Coach Rick Keltner
Hays moves to 1-0 and Great Bend falls to 0-1 to begin the season. Hays will take on Manhattan on Friday evening at 7:00.
Tournament Scores and Schedule
Girls
Hays 79 – Great Bend 44
Manhattan 53 – TMP 32
St. Thomas Aquinas – 58 – Millwood (OK) 35
Boys
Hays 74 – Great Bend 58
Manhattan 67 – TMP 48
Millwood (OK) 51 – St. Thomas Aquinas 47
Friday Schedule
Girls
3:30 TMP v Millwood (Hays Middle School)
5:15 Hays v Manhattan (Hays High School)
7:00 St. Thomas Aquinas v Great Bend (Hays Middle School)
Boys
3:30 Millwood v Great Bend (Hays High School)
5:15 TMP v St. Thomas Aquinas (Hays High School)
7:00 Hays v Manhattan (Hays High School)