For the Great Bend High School Lady Panthers, it’s going back to where they started.
Well, sort of.
The sixth-seeded Lady Panthers (3-17) take on third-seeded Newton (12-8) in a first-round game of a Class 5A sub-state tournament tonight in Newton.
Back in early December, Great Bend opened the 2011-12 basketball season against the same Newton team at the Hays City Shootout. It was not a pretty sight as Newton, coming off a state tourney appearance from 2010-11, mauled the Lady Panthers 76-26.
Nearly three months later, the two teams meet again.
“We know that we’re a better team than we were at the start of the season,” Great Bend head coach Jason Tatkenhorst said. “(Newton) is probably looking ahead to Saturday (and the sub-state championship).”
The winner of tonight’s game plays the winner of Hays (16-4) and Liberal (3-17) in Saturday’s sub-state championship game.
The Lady Panthers had trouble throughout against Newton’s full-court pressure during their first meeting, although that might not be the case this time around.
“Our first-year guards are playing a lot better, handling the ball, and they have a good idea of what they’re going to do,” Tatkenhorst said.