TECUMSEH – The Great Bend girls ended a nightmarish Thunderbird Classic with a 51-33 seventh-place basketball loss to the Shawnee Heights Thunderbirds.
Great Bend led 7-2 after hitting three consecutive field goals to start the game. However, the Panthers went without a field goal for the next 16 minutes.
The Thunderbirds outscored the Panthers 32-2 over that 16-minute stretch for a 35-9 lead. The Panthers committed 15 turnovers and made 3 of 24 field goals over the next 22 minutes.
“Taking care of the basketball is something you can control,” said Great Bend coach Carrie Minton. “There was frustration that first half. They knew we did not play well.”
Thunderbirds Kim Wells (12), Lauren Fleisher (11) and Ali Fulks (10) scored in double figures.
The Panthers rallied to outscore the Thunderbirds 24-18 the second half by limiting turnovers with improved rebounding. Sydney Unruh scored nine points and Jenna Mauler and Candice Smith added six points apiece.
“We came out with fire that second half,” Minton said. “We have to credit our effort that second half. We have to put four quarters together.”
The Panthers (1-12) have lost nine consecutive games heading to Wamego Tuesday.
Great Bend 7 2 12 12 – 33
Shawnee Hts 14 19 7 11 – 51
GREAT BEND (1-12)—Sydney Unruh 3-9 2-4 9, Mauler 1-6 4-6 6, Smith 2-3 2-2 6, Keller 1-1 0-0 3, Schroeder 0-1 1-4 1, Kaylee Unruh 1-5 0-1 2, Warren 0-2 1-2 1, Harbaugh 0-1 0-0 0, Wasinger 0-2 2-2 2, Latham 1-5 0-4 3, Steele Brack 0-0 0-2 0, Herter 0-3 0-0 0, Totals 9-38 12-27 33
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (4-8)—Wells 3 5-8 12, Fleisher 5 0-0 11, Fulks 3 2-4 10, Brown 2 4-6 8, Burghart 0 2-4 2, Ostenson 1 1-2 4, Schulte 2 0-0 4, Totals 16 14-24 51
3-pointers—GB 3 (S. Unruh 1, Keller 1, Latham 1), SH 5 (Fulks 2, Fleisher 1, Ostenson 1, Wells 1)
