BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtriune.com

On back-to-back nights, Great Bend sophomore Alec Premer provided a spark to ignite the Panthers' quest for a share of the Western Athletic Conference basketball title.

Premer scored a career high 26 points, highlighted by 19 first-half points. Premer has converted 16 of 20 field goals and 13 consecutive free throws the past two games. Premer made a living with backdoor cuts on the baseline for scores.

Cooper Ohmacht made his presence known with a soaring slam dunk off a nifty lob pass by pesky point guard Daxton Minton that thrilled a Winter Homecoming crowd. Cooper Ohnmacht shook off first-half foul trouble for 14 points.

Jacob Hall contributed 15 points and Minton's 8-point night was mixed with his usual repertoire of assists and steals. The Panthers continue to spread the court and move the basketall.

Garden City provided a worthy test for the Panthers with a mix of inside offense and 19 of 26 free throw shooting. The Buffaloes played with good energy and a spirited teamwork.

Great Bend coach Kyle Kriegh was pleased the Panther players gradually adjusted mentally to a facet of the game they can't control — the officiating.

Jacob Hall drew a technical for discussing a foul to an official. A consistent trend continued with 57 free throws, which slowed the second quarter to a snail's pace.

Sometimes, the players ask coach Kreigh what's he seeing.

"Coop asked, 'Coach what am I doing?' Copp, I honestly don't know what to tell him."

"We stopped crying and complaining. We've got to think 'next play.' No one is perfect, including us and the refs."

Physical play is part of a typical Western Athletic Conference showdown. You've got to keep battling.

"This was a mix of a boxing match and a basketball game," Kriegh said. "If someone wants to go with us in a boxing match, 'let's go.' Our guys were fired up. They're not going to back down from anybody. It's helpful we have bench guys who can help us."

Athletic Jalen Jagels provided a matchup nightmare with 21 points off 8 of 14 shooting. The Buffaloes misfired from long range with 2 of 12 shooting. Sharp shooting Daniel Monarrez endured a 4 of 17 shooting night.

"When we put our athletes on Monarrez, that slowed him down," Kriegh said.

The Buffaloes (9-9, 1-3 WAC) hung within striking distance until the fourth quarter, a repeat of the Panthers' 74-56 victory at Garden City Jan, 8.

Great Bend (11-8, 3-1 WAC) stays within range of WAC powerhouse Hays High (14-4, 5-0 WAC) while ending a 3-game homestand against Liberal Tuesday.

Garden City 15 16 14 11 — 56

Great Bend 20 16 16 19 — 71

GARDEN CITY (9-9, 1-3)—Jalen Jagels 8-14 5-8 21; Rosales 2-3 (1-2) 7-8 12; Monarrez 4-17 (1-8) 0-0 9; Walker 2-9 (0-3) 3-4 7; Strecker 2-8 (0-1) 2-4 6; Braden Jagels 0-1 0-0 0; Longa (0-1) 0-0 0; Chairez 0-0 1-2 1; Totals 18-53 (2-12) 19-26 56

GREAT BEND (11-8, 3-1)—Alec Premer 8-12 (1-3) 9-9 26; Jacob Hall 4-10 (0-1) 7-8 15; Ohnmacht 7-13 (0-1) 0-0 14; Minton 2-3 (0-1) 4-6 8; Stroup 0-3 (0-2) 3-4 3; Jaxon Wondra 0-0 3-4 3; Price 1-2 (0-1) 0-0 2; Totals 22-43 (1-9) 26-31 71