The Great Bend Panther girls had no defensive answers for Jaymie Bernbeck and the Garden City Buffaloes, who avenged two earlier losses to Great Bend.
Bernbeck triggered a 18-4 scoring run as the Buffaloes spoiled Great Bend’s winter homecoming with a dominating 57-36 Western Athletic Conference basketball victory.
Garden City stretched an 8-6 lead to 26-10 lead by scoring on eight consecutive possessions. Jessica Carrillo scored six points while Bernbeck and Abbie Dart each scored four points in that stretch. Bernbeck scored 11 first-half points as the Buffaloes led 35-16 at halftime. The Panthers committed 14 first-half turnovers that led to several easy Garden City transition baskets.
The Panthers’ fullcourt pressure helped force 26 Garden City turnovers. Great Bend’s Lauren Welsch rallied with 14 second-half points for a game high 16 points. Garden City limited the Panthers’ Regan Unruh to four points after she scored 23 points in a 58-55 victory at Garden City.
Bernbeck has returned from an anterior cruciate ligament injury to spark the Buffaloes. Garden City (10-7, 3-2 WAC) had lost 45-37 to Great Bend at the Hays City Shootout and 58-55 at Garden City.
Defending Western Athletic Conference champion Great Bend (7-9, 3-2 WAC) is two games behind Dodge City in the league game. Thomas More Prep visits Great Bend Tuesday for a non-league basketball game.
The Panthers kicked up their defensive intensity after halftime, but never seriously challenged the Buffaloes, who led 46-19 in the third period.
Garden City’s Abbie Dart contributed 13 points and senior post Jessica Carrillo added 11 points. Garden City dominated the boards 40-26. The Buffs shot 46 percent on 21-of-46 shooting while limiting Great Bend to  28 percent on 12-of-42 shooting.
Garden City —Munoz 0-3 0-0 0, Dart 5-11 3-4 13, Hinde 0-2 2-2 2, Flowers 1-3 0-3 3, Butler 2-5 3-5 7, B. Elliott 1-2 1-2 3, Dreiling 1-1 0-0 2, Bernbeck 6-9 2-3 14, Carrillo 4-9 3-5 11, A. Elliott 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 21-46 14-24 57.
Great Bend — Kasselman 0-0 0-0 0, Boyd 1-2 0-0 2, Welsch 5-14 5-6 16, Moyers 0-3 0-0 0, Burkhart 0-2 0-0 0, Unruh 1-8 2-3 4, Stein 0-1 1-2 1, Warren 2-2 0-0 4, Mauler 0-2 0-1 0, Dreiling 1-4 1-2 3, Dunekack 1-1 0-0 2, Brack 1-3 2-4 4. Totals 12-42 11-18 36.
Garden City 12 23 12 10 — 57
Great Bend 6 10 11 9 — 36
3-point goals—GC 1-6 (Munoz 0-1, Dart 0-3, Hinde 0-1, Flowers 1-1), GB 1-19 (Welsch 1-7, Moyers 0-1, Burkhart 0-2, Unruh 0-4, Stein 0-1, Mauler 0-2, Dreiling 0-2). Rebounds—GC 40 (Dart 8), GB 26 (Dreiling 4). TO—GC 26, GB 23.