BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
You've got to trust that Great Bend's Alyssa McCauley believes in the "The Little Engine that Could."
"I think I can. I think I can."
Pratt's girls led the Great Bend Panthers 34-16 Friday night with the third quarter winding down.
McCauley had misfired every which way on nine consecutive 3-point misses.
Somehow McCauley kept her confidence. She swung the momentum with a banked-in 3-pointer that ignited a game-ending 35-12 scoring burst for a shocking 51-46 comeback victory over the Greenbacks.
Pratt's high-scoring Hope Hughes baffled the Panthers' defense for three quarters in a brilliant 23-point outing. Hughes scored 10 consecutive points to start the second half to start a 12-0 run. Fortunately, Alex Mayers eventually slowed Hughes with a persistent defensive effort.
Alex Mayers rescued the Panthers with nine consecutive points to jump start an amazing 26-point fourth quarter. Mayers converted a pair of free throws, delivered a 4-point play and followed with a 3-pointer to slice an 18-point deficit to 40-34.
It was a team effort down the stretch. McCauley hit her second 3-pointer Denver Ringo scored for a 41-41 tie. Alex Mayers converted a 3-pointer for a 44-44 tie.
The 5-foot-3 Meredith Mazouch hit a driving shot against Hughes and Stevie Mayers scored and delivered a steal for a 48-46 lead after Hughes scored her final basket. Alex Mayers converted two free throws and McCauley added a free throw for a 51-46 final.
"Our fourth quarter was electric," said Great Bend coach Jade Winter, who created extra defensive pressure in the fourth quarter. "We've emphasized momentum all season. Once Alex Mayers got the and-one 3-pointer. From there, we got scores and stops and we needed a lot of those to get back into it."
Winter believed the Panthers built on their fourth-quarter energy level after getting outplayed for three quarters.
"Had we played with that momentum the whole game, it would've been a bigger margin," Winter said. "The girls saw what they could do. We feel good about the way we finished. All of our girls did their part, whether it was rebounding or pushing the ball up the floor."
Pratt 12 10 17 6 — 46
Great Bend 8 8 9 26 — 51
PRATT (2-5) —Hughes 11-26 (1-9) 0-0 23; Myers 2-3 0-0 4; Forssberg 2-4 1-2 5; Winklepleck 0-3 0-0 0; Sowers 1-4 3-8 5; Foster (0-2) 0-0 0; McAllister 3-7 (2-4) 1-1 9; Totals 19-49 (3-15) 5-11 46
GREAT BEND (2-5)—Alex Mayers 4-12 (3-5) 5-9 16; McCauley (2-11) 1-2 7; Meredith Mazouch 1-5 (0-2) 2-2 4; Prendergast 3-10 0-3 6; Stevie Mayers 4-9 0-2 8; Ringo 3-8 2-2 8; Katherine Mazouch 0-3 2-2 2; Umphres (0-1) 0-0 0; Totals 17-59 (5-19) 51
