BY JIM MISUNAS
GARDEN CITY – Great Bend’s Sadie Spray pulled off a miraculous ending in regulation time for the Panthers to reach overtime at 39-39 against Garden City.
Spray drilled a pair of clutch 3-pointers and converted a left-handed runner in traffic to force a 39-39 tie. Spray drew a pivotal charging call on an Amaya Gallegos basket that was nullified on the offensive foul. Spray missed a desperation 25-footer that would’ve won the ballgame.
The Buffaloes outscored the Panthers 10-1 in overtime to spoil the fun with a 49-40 Western Athletic Conference basketball victory. Garden City made six free throws and Amaya Gallegos and McKenzie Lucas scored baskets in the extra period.
A storybook Panther comeback didn’t happen.
The Panthers committed three turnovers and Spray’s magic touch vanished with four missed shots in overtime. The Panthers converted 3 of 20 shots from 3-point range.
“Sadie played solid defense to give us a chance. I’m proud of them for a lot of things in the game,” said Great Bend coach Cindy Beck. “We battled and focused on what we were trying to do. We knocked some shots down. In overtime, we ran out of gas. We weren’t as strong in overtime. We got some good looks.”
The Panthers controlled the game’s tempo into the fourth quarter. Spray’s 3-pointer gave the Panthers a 31-25 lead.
But Garden City swung the momentum with a quick 12-0 run. Kierrah Pinchon and Aileen Becerril hit 3-pointers and Pinchon and Gallegos converted conventional 3-point plays for a 37-31 lead with three minutes left.
Emilee Hall made a pair of fourth-quarter baskets to help Spray’s 9-point fourth quarter.
The Panthers played brilliantly with a 24-16 lead when Garden City started 2 of 19 from the field. Panther Jillian Reimer scored a rebound basket and Kara Feist added a 3-pointer for the 8-point lead.
Gallegos led the Buffaloes (6-11, 2-3 WAC) with 16 points and Pinchon added 12 points. Garden City’s 7 of 25 shooting from 3-point range helped the Buffaloes outscore the Panthers 21-9 from long distance.
Garden City (6-11, 2-3 WAC) pulled off a sweep of the Panthers (7-9, 1-4), who drop into last place in the Western Athletic Conference. Great Bend is ranked 11th in the 5A West seedings, which could force a postseason rematch with Hutchinson High.
The Panthers return home next week to play Hays Thomas More Prep and Dodge City.
“We’ve got some games we can get,” Beck said. “We’ve got to be better.”
Great Bend 9 10 7 13 1 – 40
Garden City 4 10 9 16 10 – 49
GREAT BEND (7-9, 1-4)—Spray 6-25 7-14 21, Kara Feist 2-10 2-2 7, Hall 3-11 0-0 6, Thexton 1-3 0-0 2, Reimer 1-2 0-0 2, Premer 1-4 0-2 2, Totals 14-55 9-18 40
GARDEN CITY (6-11, 2-3)—Gallegos 5-12 6-12, Pinchon 4-8 2-6 12, Becerril 2-14 2-2 8, Warren 2-6 0-0 6, Carr 1-4 0-1 3, Lucas 1-2 2-2 4, Totals 15-46 12-23 49
3-pointers—GB 3-20 (Spray 2-9, Feist 1-8, Thexton 0-1, Premer 0-2); GC 7-25 (Pinchon 2-4, Warren 2-5, Becerril 2-10, Carr 1-3, Gallegos 0-3)
