It took Hays High 2:30 minutes to score in the opening round of sub-state against Wichita West on Wednesday night. A Jordan Windholz three pointer gave Hays their first points of the game and Hays never trailed winning 68-43 over the Pioneers. Leading 14-11 with 2:00 left in the first quarter, Hays went on a 10-0 run extending into the second quarter jumping out to a 13 point lead. The Indians hit 12 of their final 14 shots in the first half to lead 41-23 at half time.
West could never mount a serious second half run and Hays cruised through the second half for the 25 point win.
Brady Werth led the Indians with 19 points, 15 in the first half. Jordan Windholz scored 15 and tied his career high in rebounding with 8. Clayton Riedel came off the bench to tie his season best with 13.
The Indians shot 60% in the game making 26 of 43 shots. West shot just 26% at 14 of 53. The only negative mark for Hays was their 18 turnovers.
West ends their season at 3-18. Hays is now 21-0 and will play 8-13 Bishop Carroll who beat Great Bend 67-41. The game will be played at Hays High School. The time will be determined on Thursday.
Finishing the regular season 20-0 has earned the Hays High Indians the #1 seed in the upcoming week’s sub-state tournament. Hays will host 3-17 Wichita West on Wednesday at 6:00. The winner of that game takes on the winner of fourth seeded Bishop Carroll or the fifth seed Great Bend. Both teams are 7-13 on the season and home court was decided on a coin flip. The higher of the remaining seeds will host the championship game.
Both the Hays high girls and Wichita West finished 0-20 on the year and a coin flip was used to determine the seven and eight seeds. Hays lost the coin flip and will be making a return trip to Great Bend for a 7:00 game on Thursday. The Indians finished the regular season in Great Bend on Friday. The winner will play the winner of fourth seeded Liberal (7-13) and fifth seeded Bishop Carroll (6-14).
See more brackets at https://kshsaa.org/Public/Basketball/SSAssignments.cfm
The Hays High girls led the Western Athletic Conference champion Great Bend Lady Panthers 6-4 midway through the first quarter. Hays though wouldn’t score for the next nine minutes as Great Bend went on a 33-0 run. Great Bend finished off the night with a 62-27 victory, completing a perfect 8-0 record in the WAC.
Hays was led by Audra Schmeidler with 8 points and 9 rebounds.
Hays finishes the season at 0-20 and 0-8 in the WAC. Great Bend finishes at 18-2.
Hays will play next Thursday in the first round of sub-state as either the seven or eight seed. Wichita West also went 0-20 this season and coin flip will determine the seeds. Depending the outcome of that flip, Hays will play either at Great Bend again, at Bishop-Carroll in Wichita or in Goddard at Eisenhower High School.
Boys: Hays 63 – Great Bend 35
All twenty of Hays High’s regular season games have had the same result…a W for the Indians. Hays improved their record to 20-0 and 8-0 in the Western Athletic Conference with a 63-35 in on Friday night in Great Bend. Great Bend took an early 3-0 lead when Hays exploded for an 11-0 run and never looked back. Jordan Windholz scored 13 first quarter points and Lane Clark hit two three’s including one at the the first quarter buzzer to lead 23-10. The Indians defense stole the show in the second quarter, allowing the Panthers to score just one point for a 33-11 half time lead.
Both teams scored 17 points in the third and Hays outscored Great Bend 13-7 in the fourth.
At 20-0, this Hays team is just the third Indian squad to earn 20 or more wins in a season. Hays went 22-1 in the 1943-44 season earning the Indians only state basketball title. The 1995-96 team went 21-4.
Hays wins the Western Athletic Conference for the first time 2006 and wraps up the one seed in the sub-state with the win. Great Bend finishes the year at 7-13 and 2-6 in the WAC.
Jordan Windholz followed up his career high 26 points on Tuesday night with a 20 point effort on Friday. Brady Werth added 14 in the victory.
Hays shot 57% for the game 26 of 46 and committed just five turnovers, none in the first half.
Hays High will host the first round of the sub-state tournament next Wednesday against Wichita Heights. The KSHSAA changed the hosting rules last year and the higher seeded team hosts the second round as well.
Great Bend will learn their fate on Saturday as they are tied with Bishop Carroll for the fourth and fifth seed. A coin flip will determine who get the first round home game.
Girls: Dodge City 41 – Hays 32 It looked like it could happen on senior night at Hays High School. That the Hays High girls could pick up their first win of the season. Down 30-22 to Dodge City fifteen seconds in to the fourth quarter Hays scored seven straight points to get within one at 30-29. After a field goal from the Lady Demons, freshman Talyn Kleweno knocked in a right wing three to tie the game at 32 with 2:15 remaining. Unfortunately that would be the last points of the game for Hays as Dodge City ended the game on a 9-0 run to win 41-32.
Hays was led by Mattison Schlaefli who scored a career high 14 in the loss. Hays High honored their only senior Haley Wells in between the games.
Hays falls to 0-19 on the year and 0-7 in the WAC. Dodge City is now 10-9 and 4-3 in conference play.
Kirk Maska Postgame Interview
Game Highlights
Boys: Hays 55 – Dodge City 47 Two years ago on senior night….the Hays High Indians basketball team didn’t have anybody to honor in between games starting a freshman, three sophomores, and a junior instead. Tuesday night, those same sophomores and freshman tried to lay claim to the Western Athletic Conference Crown against Dodge City.
Every time Hays pulled away from Dodge City, the Red Demons had an answer. After Dodge City scored the games first field goal, Hays went on a 10-2 run going six points. The Red Demons answered back with seven straight points pulling ahead 11-10. The Indians regained the lead 14-13 at the end of the first quarter and again started to stretch the lead going up 25-16 capped by one of five three pointers from Jordan Windholz. Dodge City scored the next five points though to get back within four. Hays led 32-26 going into half time.
Hays had one more nine point lead at 38-29 with five minutes to go in the third quarter. Dodge City had another run in them taking a 39-38 after scoring ten straight points. The Indians cored four quick points to go back up four and led 42-41 after three quarters.
Hays never again trailed in the game scoring the first five points of the fourth quarter to go up 47-41 on a Kyler Niernberger lay up. Dodge City again was able to cut into the lead and trailed just 49-47 with 1:51 left. The Hays High defense though was rise to the occasion and didn’t allow a single point the rest of the way while making six straight free throws to close out the 55-47 win. Hays made 9 of 10 fourth quarter free throws and 12 of 13 in the second half.
Hays was led in scoring by Windholz with a career high 26. Brady Werth added 13.
Hays improves to 19-0 on the year and with a 7-0 mark in the WAC became the outright champions with one game remaining. Dodge City drops to 8-11 and 4-3 in conference play.
Hays honored their seniors, Kyler Nierenberger, Clayton Riedel, Jordan Windholz, Lane Clark, Kenny Rounkles and Kade Parker in between games for senior night.
Hays is on the road Friday to wrap up the regular season in Great Bend.
Hays High senior Reagan Kaiser signed a national letter of intent to play soccer for Rockhurst University Tuesday morning at Hays High School. Kaiser is the reigning Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year and garnered the award as a defensive player. She was named to the 5A all-state second team as a defender last season. Kaiser says she considered many schools before landing on her choice to play for the Hawks.
Kaiser helped Hays High to the 2013 WAC title and 5A state quarterfinals with a 15-3-1 overall record.
Girls: Salina South 45 – Hays 28 The Hays High Indians were facing a Salina South team down two starters to injury and illness, but couldn’t muster enough offense to pick up their first win of the season. Tied at five midway through the first quarter, South went on a 7-0 run to take a lead they would never give back.
Trailing 30-14 Hays held the Cougars scoreless over the next 7:22 of the third quarter but only scored seven points getting with in ten. South though opened the fourth quarter with eight quick points to put the game away for good.
Hays falls to 0-18 on the season while South is now 4-14.
The Lady Indians were led by Mattison Schlaefli with nine points. Emilee Holloway scored 12 for the Cougars.
Game Highlights
Kirk Maska Postgame Interivew
Boys: Hays 68 – Salina South 42 After two tight games at home versus Abilene and Garden City, Hays had very little trouble gaining separation from Salina South in a 68-42 win on Saturday afternoon.
The Indians opened the game on a 12-3 run followed by a South 7-2. Up to 14-10 Isaiah Nunnery went on a personal five point run including a three point play and then followed his own missed shot at the buzzer for a Hays High 19-10 lead.
The game was never again really tight as the Indians pushed their lead as high as 20 in the first half.
Hays shot 56% in the game making 22 of 39 shots and 5 of 10 three pointers. South made just 12 field goals on 43 attempts. Hays was also solid from the free throw line going 19 of 27.
The Indians were led by Brady Werth with 18 points and 11 rebounds, his fifth double-double of the year and second of the week. He missed one on Friday night by two rebounds. Kade Parker added a career high 14 and Lane Clark scored 10. Aaron Mar led the Cougars with 15.
Hays is now 18-0 on the year and South drops to 8-11.
Hays can win the Western Athletic Conference title outright on Tuesday night against Great Bend. It will be senior night for Haley Wells, Kyler Niernberger, Clayton Riedel, Jordan Windholz, Lane Clark, Kenny Rounkles, and Kade Parker.
Hays High kept things tight midway through the first quarter at 10-6, but following a Garden City timeout the Buffaloes went on a 10-0 run pushing their lead to 14 and never looked back. For Hays High it was the eighth state ranked opponent they have played this year. Garden City was ranked 8th this week in class 6A.
Hays trailed Garden City 37-16 at half time and only scored two second half field goals in the 67-24 loss to Garden City.
Hays was led in scoring by Audra Schmeidler’s nine points. Garden City had four score in double figures led by the 2013 WAC Player of the Year Teryn Temple who scored 19.
Hays falls to 0-17 and 0-6 in WAC play. Garden City is 11-8 and 4-3 in league play.
Boys: Hays 44 – Garden City 39
It was the third meeting this season between Hays and Garden City and this game was easily the best of the series. Hays jumped out to a 5-0 lead only to fall behind 7-5 when the Buffaloes answered with seven straight points. Hays regained the lead on a Jordan Windholz three pointer at 11-9 and Hays would not trail again until the fourth quarter.
The Indians used a 5-0 spurt in the second quarter to grab their biggest first half lead of seven points 22-15. Hays scored 11 points in the second quarter, all by Brady Werth, taking a 26-21 lead into halftime.
The Indians built their biggest lead of the game on a Kade Parker three pointer early in the third quarter and held a 33-26 lead with 4:40 left to go in the quarter. Garden City went on a 9-0 run that extended into the fourth quarter and gained the 35-33 with less than a minute gone out of the fourth quarter.
Hays immediately took a 38-35 lead back on a Lane Clark three and Windholz driving layup.
Hays would not trail again, but left the door open late. Hays built their lead to 41-37 on two Kyler Niernberger free throws with 43 seconds left. After missing the front end of a one and one at the free throw line, Clark secured the rebound only to be picked by Caleb Tramp and his dunk for Garden City made it 41-39 with :18 left.
Werth for Hays again missed the front end of a one and one, but Garden City threw the ball away and an intentional foul put Werth the line for two where he did not miss and Clark hit one of two after the ensuing inbound giving Hays the 44-39 victory.
Werth scored 18 for the Indians and was the only Hays player in double figures.
Garden City shot 15 for 25 through the first three quarters but made just 3 of their 14 fourth quarter shots.
Hays shot just 35% in the game making 15 of 43.
Hays improves to 17-0 on the year and 6-0 in the WAC and with the win secure at least a share of the WAC title.
Garden City falls to 10-9 and 3-4 in the conference.
GIRLS: Abilene 59 – Hays 48 The Hays High Lady Indians have been plagued this season by slow starts. Against Abilene however Hays took an early 6-5 lead in the first quarter and stayed within striking distance of the Abilene Cowgirls all night. Down 16-9 after the first quarter Hays used a 12-4 run to take a 21-20 lead on a Talyn Kleweno three pointer with 2:07 left in the second quarter. It would end up being the Indians last lead of the game.
Down 42-33 early in the fourth quarter Hays did make one last charge with a 8-0 run to get within one point before turnovers by the Indians led to a 11-3 Cowgirls run to seal the game 59-48.
The Lady Indians had just one less field goal (16 to 17) in the game and made six more three pointers (8-2). But Abilene out scored Hays 23-8 from the free throw line in the 11 point difference.
Hays falls to 0-16. Abilene is now 8-8. Abilene was led by Belle Barbieri with 20 points and 15 rebounds. Five Indians scored seven or more points. Haley Wells led the Indians with 13 points, Audra Schmeidler scored 10, Brooke Russel had 9, Talyn Kleweno added 8 and Mattison Schlaefli scored 7.
Kirk Maska Postgame Interveiw
Game Highlights
BOYS: Hays 68 – Abilene 60 Hays High over came a cold start to their game against Abilene on Tuesday night falling behind by seven at 9-2 and 11-4 in the first quarter. Hays went on a 12-2 run to take their first lead of the game at 16-13 and led 16-15 after the first quarter.
Abilene would never allow Hays to pull ahead by more than six points in the second quarter and the Indians led 33-31 at half time. Abilene’s leading scorer Keil Kelly scored 14 of his game high 24 in the first half.
Hays never relinquished the lead in the second half though Abilene pulled within two points and three points on four different occasions. Up 45-41 in the fourth quarter, Kade Parker sparked the Indians with four straight points on a free throw and deep three that led to a Hays High 14-4 run expanding the Indians lead to 60-48 with 2:30 left in the game. Abilene scored seven straight after that getting with in five at 60-55 with :47 left. Hays though hit six of their final eight free throw to claim the 68-60 victory.
It truly was the free throw line that made the difference. Both teams made 23 field goals and five three pointers. Each team had 29 rebounds. Hays thought outscored Abilene 15-7 at the free throw line in the eight point win.
Hays is now 16-0 on the year and Abilene falls to 11-5.
Keil Kelly led the game for Abilene with 24 points, Jesse Patrick had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while freshman Ryan Wilson added 10.
Hays was led by Brady Werth with his own double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds. Werth added five blocks as well. Lane Clark scored 14 and Jordan Windholz put in 12.
Hays is at the home on Friday to take on Garden City and Saturday against Salina South.
Girls: Liberal 56 – Hays 49 It took longer than most would think, but the Hays High Lady Indians started to click on Friday night in Liberal. Hays led 15-12 after the first quarter and 28-27 at halftime against the Liberal Redskins.
Hays though would only lead one other time in the second half at 30-29 with 6:50 to go in the third quarter.
Liberal went on a 6-0 run to take a 35-30 lead, one they would never give up. Hays trailed by five entering the fourth quarter and quickly cut it to two at 40-38 on a three pointer by Audra Schmeidler, but that is all the closer the Lady Indians would get. Liberal went on a 14-1 run to push their lead up to 15 with 2:51 left in the game.
Hays did make one last charge scoring seven straight cutting the score to 54-46, before falling to 0-15 by the final of 56-49. Liberal improves to 7-9 on the year and 2-3 in the WAC. Hays is 0-5 in conference play.
Audra Schmeidler and Brooke Russell each had 13 including three treys each. Schmeidler added 12 rebounds for her first double-double. She has 23 rebounds over the past two games.
Game Highlights
Kirk Maska Postgame Intervew
Boys: Hays 55 – Liberal 22 The Hays High Indians allowed 10 points in the first quarter against Liberal on Friday night. Over the next three Hays would give up just 12 more points and on three field goals and six free throws for a 55-22 win over the Redskins.
The score was tied early at five but two 6-0 runs by Hays sandwiched around a Redskin’s three put Hays up 17-8 in the first quarter.
The decisive run came in the second quarter when the Indians pushed their lead to 33-21 on a 13-0 run.
The Indians would not be pushed rest of the way outscoring Liberal 22-8 in the second half.
Hays shot 20-43 on the game and made 7 of 19 three pointers. Liberal was 7 for 36 and made 2 of 15 three’s.
Jordan Windholz led Hays with 15, Brady Werth put in 13 and Clayton Riedel added 11 of the bench.
Hays is 15-0 on the year and 5-0 in the WAC. Liberal drops to 5-11 and 1-4 in conference.
GIRLS: #1 Salina Central 83 – Hays 19 The Hays High Lady Indians were looking for their first win on the season taking on the best team in 5A the Salina Central Lady Mustangs on Tuesday night in Salina. Hays hung around early down 5-3 midway through the first quarter and had a few shots at taking the lead. Central turned up their full court pressure and forced Hays into 10 first quarter turnovers leading to an 11-0 Central run to take a 16-3 Mustang lead. After a basket from Hays, Central went on a 12-0 run and led 36-11 at half time.
Salina Central outscored Hays 18-1 in the third quarter and 29-7 in the fourth to close out an 83-19 win for the Mustangs. It was the most points allowed by Hays all season and the fewest the Indians had scored.
Central had four score in double figures including Kansas State commit Shaelyn Martin along with Nebraska walk-on Emily Wood each scoring 16. The night though belonged to Brooke Peters who scored a career high 17, while Bailey Driver added in a season best 10.
Hays was led by Audra Schmeidler with six points and career best 10 rebounds.
Central is now 14-0 on the year while Hays falls to 0-14.
Game Highlights
Kirk Maska Postgame Interview
BOYS: #2 Hays 51 – #9 Salina Central 50 OT The Hays High Indians hadn’t played a game in 11 days and only one over the past 16 showed little signs of rust jumping out to a 10-3 lead after eight straight points from Lane Clark. Hays would push the first quarter advantage to 14-6 with a little over two minutes remaining. Hays would score just two points over the next 10:15 seconds when Salina Central went on a 21-2 run to lead at half time 27-16.
Central grabbed their biggest lead of 13 over the first two and half minutes of the third quarter before Hays slowly reeled the hot three point shooting Mustangs back in. Hays got with in six on a 9-2 run and even pulled the game within three points on a Keith Dryden offensive rebound and stick back with 1:30 to go in the third quarter. Central though closed the third quarter and opened the fourth on a 8-2 run pushing their advantage to nine at 42-33 with 7:30 left in the game.
Hays would hold to Central to just a pair of free throws for the rest of regulation while reeling off an 8-0 run over the final 3:02 to tie the game with 1:00 to go on a Kyler Niernberger layup. Both Hays and Central had a chance to win the game in regulation. The Mustangs pulled the clock down to less than 12 seconds when Central attacked the paint but Brady Werth blocked Jordan McNelly shot in the lane. Isaiah Nunnery found Lane Clark on a outlet pass but Clark came up short on the potential game winning shot from three feet beyond the three point line.
In over time the score was tied at 46 and 47 before Brady Werth game Hays a 49-47 lead with 1:36 to go. Central responded back with a three pointer from Max Kuhn, his first field goal of the game giving the Mustangs a 50-49 lead with 53 seconds left. Hays ran their offense and Lane Clark found himself at the basket among three Central defenders and laid a shot in with 15 seconds left giving Hays a 51-50 advantage. Central used a timeout and got to the paint before the Indians blocked another shot that went out of bounds with 2 second remaining. Central’s last shot came on a fade away deep three from freshman Brayden Neuschafer who had already scored 11, keeping Hays record intact at 14-0. Salina Central drops to 8-6.
Hays shot 21 of 44 in the game and made just 3 of their 14 three’s. Central on the flip side made 9 of 17 three’s on a 16 for 36 performance overall from the field.
Central’s Jordan McNelly and Treyton Hines each scored 16 while Brayden Neuschafer added 11.
Hays was led by a game high 17 from Jordan Windholz, despite not scoring in the first half Brady Werth added 12 and Lane Clark scored 10.
Hays is on the road Friday to resume Western Athletic Conference play against Liberal.
The Hays High Indians put their new No. 1 ranking in class 5A on the line for the first time with a trip to Dodge City on Friday night.
For just the second time all year, the Indians trailed at the end of the first quarter 13-12. The early deficit by Hays and early success by Dodge City was due to turnovers. Hays turned the ball over five times in the first quarter, which is half the Indians per game average on the season. Dodge City turned it over just twice in the first eight minutes.
Hays still trailed 17-16 midway through the second quarter before exploding on a 12-0 run to lead at half time 28-17.
Hays never could pull away in the third quarter, but never let Dodge City get any closer than nine points and still led by 11 after three.
The Indians opened the fourth quarter on a 11-0 run to push their lead to 22 and cruised to a 55-36 victory.
Jordan Windholz and Brady Werth each led the team with 14. Hays didn’t shoot much due to Dodge City’s slow-down style and the Indians 19 turnovers. But when Hays shot they were hot, making 18 of 28 for 64 percent and 16 of 19 free throws for 84 percent. After just two turnovers in the first quarter, Dodge City ended the night with 23.
Hays is now 13-0 on the year and 4-0 in the WAC. Dodge City drops to 4-7 and 2-1 in conference play.
Hays is at home for the first time since January 14th when they take on Salina South Tuesday.
The Hays High Lady Indians did just what their coach had been asking over the past several games. Cut down on the turnovers and take more shots. Unfortunately Hays couldn’t get any of their shots to drop, making just 1 of 23 in the first half on their way to a 64-27 loss to Gardner-Edgerton.
The Trailblazers came in shooting just 31 percent on the year but went 23-48 in the game and shot 48%.
Hays drops to 0-13 on the season. The Lady Indians were led in scoring by Brooke Russell who scored nine, all in the fourth quarter on three, three point field goals.
Hays High is at home for the first time since January 14 when they play Salina South on Tuesday.
Manhattan 60, Hays 24 The Hays High Lady Indians opened the Mid-America Basketball Tournament in McPherson with a 60-24 loss to Manhattan on Thursday evening. Manhattan is ranked fourth in class 6A and the game was the sixth ranked opponent for the Hays girls in their eleven games this season.
Haley Wells tied the game at 2-2 at the 6:40 mark of the first quarter as both teams struggled to score over the first three minutes of the game. Manhattan though would used a 13-2 run taking an eleven point lead early in the second quarter. Manhattan then went on a 9-0 run in the later stages of the second quarter taking a 26-7 lead and eventually lead 28-9 at half time.
Manhattan made sure to put the game to rest with a 17-0 run over a 6:00 span of the third quarter while holding Hays to just two points in the third.
Hays trailed 47-11 after three quarters before scoring 13 points in the fourth quarter.
Audra Schmeidler scored a team high 8 points for Hays. The Indians shot 10 for 36 in game and 1 of 6 on three point attempts. Manhattan was 24 for 64 and just 2 of 16 on 3’s. The Lady Indians committed 30 turnovers in the loss.
Hays drops to 0-11 on the year while Manhattan is now 12-1. Their only loss was by two against Great Bend before Christmas.
Hays will play Wichita Northwest at 3:00 on Friday. Northwest lost 53-36 in the first round of the tournament to Shawnee Mission South.
By Dustin Armbruster
