BY JIM MISUNAS
Great Bend Panther Braylon Council crafts those wild-and-crazy shots around the basket. Council made that practice pay off with a trio of spinning baskets that ignited a 23-point fourth quarter.
The Panthers outscored Dodge City 23-9 in the fourth quarter for a hard-fought 54-43 Western Athletic Conference basketball victory. Council scored a career high 17 points, nine in the fourth quarter. Council hit three consecutive baskets. Carter Coombs converted a 3-point play and dished to Jacob Hall for a basket that turned a 34-31 deficit into a 42-34 lead. The Panthers sealed the victory with eight free throws.
"Yes, we work those type of shots in practice to get us ready," Council said. "That's a good win for us."
Great Bend (10-8, 4-2) celebrated their seniors Tyler Stuhlsatz, Cayden Scheuerman, Council, Kendryk Turner and Mathew Moeder, who made a steal in his season debut after missing all season with an injury.
Council also delivered a vintage defensive performance with a trio of steals against Dodge City point guard Isaiah Taylor, who committed six turnovers. Council slowed down Taylor's attack to the basket.
"Playing strong defense in my goal," Council said. "I tried to make it tough and force him left. I got help defensively when he tried his spin moves into the lane."
Great Bend coach Kyle Kriegh gave full credit to Council's all-around effort.
"Braylon was aggressive on offense that fourth quarter," Kriegh said. "He showed heart out there because he was guarding their best player too."
Great Bend earned a vintage team victory with leading scorer Ian Premer held to five points. Coombs (10), Hall (9) and Scheuerman (7) contributed offensively. The Panthers converted 18 Dodge City turnovers into a 15-6 edge off ballhandling errors.
"Cayden helped get us going," Kriegh said. "We got out in transition."
Dodge City's Okoro gave the Panthers fits with 16 rebounds and 11 points. Dodge City dominated the boards 45-31, but grabbed 19 offensive boards to hang tough. Victor
Brito-Santos scored 10 points and Taylor added eight points on a 4 of 10 shooting night.
Dodge City (5-13, 1-5 WAC) held a 34-31 lead, but converted 3 of 15 field goals in the fourth quarter against stifling Great Bend defense.
"Tyler Stuhlsatz and Maddox Spray got us three charging fouls," Kriegh said. "Dodge City attacked us inside, but we got deflections to disrupt their offense."
Dodge City 14 7 13 9 — 43
Great Bend 13 8 10 23 — 54
DODGE CITY (5-13, 1-5)—Okoro 5-7 1-4 11, Schulte 0-1 1-3 1, Taylor 4-10 0-0 8, Daelyn Unzueta 1-6 0-0 2, Springer 0-3 0-0 0, Perez 1-7 0-0 3, Buller 3-8 2-2 8, Reece 0-1 0-
0 0, Bryson Unzueta 0-1 0-0 0, Totals 18-55 6-13 43
GREAT BEND (10-8, 4-2)—Council 6-9 4-6 17, Coombs 2-6 5-5 10, Hall 3-3 3-4 9, Premer 1-9 3-6 5, Stuhlsatz 1-4 0-0 2, Scheuerman 3-8 1-5 7, Spray 1-5 0-0 2, Dicks 1-2 0-0 2, Totals 18-46 16-26 54
3-pointers—DC 1-14 (Perez 1-6, Schulte 0-1, Taylor 0-2, D. Unzueta 0-2, Springer 0-2, B. Unzeuta 0-1), GB 2-9 (Council 1-1, Coombs 1-3, Dicks 0-1, Premer 0-2, Scheuerman 0-2). Rebounds—DC 45 (Okoro 16); GB 31 (Premer 8). Assists—DC 11 (Reese 3); GB 10 (Council 4). Steals—DC 8 (Taylor 2), GB 13 (Scheuerman 4). TO—DC 18, GB 11
