LARNED — With 30 seconds remaining in the high school basketball game, Gavin Vink sank a 3-pointer to put Ellinwood ahead of Kinsley 53-52 in a consolation-bracket game of Larned’s Keady Basketball Classic.
Kinlsey’s Nathan Frame was able to score with 7.1 seconds remaining to give the Coyotes a 54-53 victory on Thursday night at the Larned Middle School gym.
“I told the guys that we need to get going from the get-go,” Ellinwood head coach Dustin Klassen said, “and we didn’t. We’re not a good enough team where we can not go 100 percent.
“In the second half, I kind of challenged them to do that, and I thought the second half was a whole other ball game. I didn’t say play better. I said play harder, and usually the numbers on the scoreboard can take care of themselves. Today, we fell short.”
Vink scored all of his nine points in the fourth quarter, helping the Eagles make up a six-point deficit in the final eight minutes.
“I kept telling them, ‘Keep going,’ ” Klassen said. “If it was seven, we had to get seven. They didn’t quit. We left if all out there. We need to play a full game.”
After he drained his lone 3-ball of the night, Vink was able to lock up Kinsley’s Tyson Espinosa as he drove the lane for a jump ball.
The possession arrow went to Kinsley, and Vink went down hard, hitting his head.
“Gavin Vink hit a great shot,” Klassen said. “It was an inside-out pass. He stepped into it and hit it. It gave us the lead for the first time in maybe a long time.
“Then he came down and hit his head on the other end, so we have to keep a close eye on him.”
While early indications suggest that there was no concussion, Klasson said that they were going to keep a close eye on him over the next few days.
Kyle Blakeslee finished with a team-leading 17 points, making 6 of 11 free-throw attempts.
Ellinwood plays again on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Larned’s high school gym.

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
Sixth Annual Keady Basketball Classic

BOYS

Thursday

At Larned

Kinsley 54, Ellinwood 53
ELLINWOOD (1-2)
    Patrick Ringering 6 1-1 13, Cody Isern 1 2-5 4, Kyle Blakeslee 5 6-11 17, Kyle Jenks 0 0-0 0, Tanner Swank 3 0-0 6, Derek Ward 2 0-0 4, Gavin Vink 2 4-6 9. Totals 19 13-23 53.
KINSLEY
    Connor Frame 1 1-2 5, Nathan Frame 5 5-8 15, Tysopn Espinosa 2 1-1 5, Austin Bogg2 0 0-0 0, Taylor Abel 3 0-0 7, Weston Cross 3 0-0 9, Greg Newsom 3 0-0 6. Totals 21 8-13 54.
Ellinwood               14  11   9   19  —  53  
Kinsley                   14  14  12  14  —  54
    Three-point goals — Kinsley 4 (Cross 3, Abel); Ellinwood 2 (Vink, Blakeslee). Total fouls — Kinlsye 23, Ellinwood 11. Fouled out — C. Frame.

BOYS
Larned 53, Spearville 43
LARNED — The Larned Indians led the entire way as they beat Spearville in a consolation-bracket game.
Spearville started to close the gap in the fourth quarter by utilizing some Larned turnovers, but the Indians held on down the stretch.
Easton Palmer finished with a team-leading 11 points.
Michael Reece finished with eight points and nine rebounds.
Brayden Smith and Nolan Allison each added eight points.

GIRLS
Kiowa County 53, Macksville 22
LARNED — Macksville just could not get into a groove on offense in a lop-sided consolation-bracket win for Kiowa County.
The Lady Mustangs were led by Melissa Espino and Tara Bunker, who scored five points each.
Macksville had no answer for Kiowa County’s post players, as Heather Melton led the Lady Mavericks with 11 points, and Angela Liggett added 10.
Kiowa County attempted 25 free throws, but only made six.

GIRLS

At Larned

Kiowa County 53, Macksville 22
MACKSVILLE (0-3)
    Melissa Espino 2 0-2 5, Kristina Murphy 2 0-0 4, Tara Bunker 2 0-2 5, Karissa Langlois 1 2-2 4, Kiley Freeman 1 0-3 2, Selena Galan 0 0-0 0, Clara Cross 0 0-0 0, Mindy Wood 0 2-4 2. Totals 8 4-13 22.
KIOWA COUNTY
    Katelynn Gamble 4 2-5 10, Chelsea Oberle 0 0-0 0, Hannah Brown 1 0-0 2, Erica Bertman 2 0-1 4, Heather Melton 4 3-6 11, Mackenzie Rose 2 0-1 4, Riann Heft 2 0-2 4, Halie Headrick 3 0-0 7, Angela Liggett 5 0-2 10, Dena Liggett 0 0-4 0, McKenzie Heft 0 1-4 1. Totals 23 6-25 53.
Macksville                 3   3   12  10  — 22
Kiowa County          11  18  12  11  — 53
    Three-point goals — Macksville 2 (Espino, Bunker); Kiowa County 1 (Headrick). Total fouls — Macksville 19, Kiowa County 13. Fouled out — Freeman.

Ellinwood 56, Kinsley 55
LARNED — Rachel Doll scored 13 of her team-leading 18 points for the Ellinwood Lady Eagles in the second half.
Ellinwood trailed 29-22 after the first 16 minutes, but were able to rally for the one-point win.
Sophie Hayes, Blake Wilt and Kelsea Ward each added nine points for the Lady Eagles.

GIRLS

At Larned

Ellinwood 56, Kinsley 55
ELLINWOOD (1-2)
   Sophie Hayes 4 1-4 9, Oma Thomas 0 0-1 0, Jenna Snell 0 1-2 1, Blake Wilt 4 1-3 9, Brooke Panning 2 1-3 9, Rachel Doll 6 5-10 18, Kelsea Ward 3 3-4 9, Amanda Tucker 2 1-3 5, Tawny Arndt 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 13-30 56.
KINSLEY
    Paige Herrman 3 2-4 9, Ashlie Espinosa 1 0-0 2, Amber Espinosa 4 0-1 9, Shaylee Meyers 2 1-2 5, Clarissa Holguin 5 1-2 9, Alex Herrman 2 0-0 5, Brittany Gleason 4 7-9 16. Totals 20 11-18 55.
Ellinwood               16   6   16  18  —  56
Kinsley                   11  18  12  11  —  55
    Three-point goals — Kinsley 4 (P. Herrman, Am. Espinosa, A. Herrman, Gleason); Ellinwood 1 (Doll). Total fouls — Kinsley 24, Ellinwood 22. Fouled out — Gleason, Meyers.