MAIZE SOUTH 61,
GREAT BEND 56
MAIZE — Maize South placed four players in double figures to race past the Great Bend girls 61-56 in the Class 5A basketball substate.
The Panthers rallied from an 8-point deficit to climb within 55-53, but several missed free throws cost them down the stretch. Camryn Dunekack led the Panthers’ rally with seven points that cut a 51-43 lead to 55-53. Lauren Johnson’s basket led to a 57-53 Maverick lead.
Carley Brack led the hustling Panthers (12-9) with 16 points and Lauren Welsch (14) and Dunekack (13) scored in double figures. Great Bend converted 20 of 59 field goals and 12 of 21 free throws.
Panthers led 31-30 at halftime that was pushed to 36-32 in the third period. But the Mavericks dominated 19-7 for a 51-43 lead into the fourth period. Aliyah Myers scored eight points and Jaelynn McLaurian scored seven points in the scoring run.
Myers led the Mavericks (14-7) with 14 points and McLaurian added 13 points. The Maverick converted several of the Panther 18 turnovers into easy transition points.
GB 16 15 12 13 — 56
MS 13 17 19 12 — 61
GB—Brack 16, Welsch 14, Dunekack 13, Dreiling 5, Warren 5, Kottas 3.
CENTRAL CHRISTIAN 55, PAWNEE HEIGHTS 54
BURRTON — State-ranked Central Christian barely avoided a historic upset when the game-winning field goal attempt by Pawnee Heights fell off the rim in a 55-54 decision in the Class 1A-Division 2 Burrton basketball substate.
The Cougars (17-4) captured a 55-52 lead on two free throws, but the Tigers got within 55-54 and had a chance to win the ballgame with nine seconds left. The final shot rolled off the rim for the Tigers (6-13).
STERLING 68,
LARNED 64
LAKIN — Kenan Comley scored 32 points to spark Sterling past Larned 68-64 in the Class 3A Lakin basketball substate. Kenan Comley made 7 of 14 3-pointers.
Larned rallied from a 10-point deficit with a late-game rally triggered by Tanner Galliart’s steal. Evan Skelton, Isiah Perez, Galliart and Trevor Meyer scored to slice Sterling’s lead to 63-62. The Indians had a chance for the lead, but Evan Skelton missed a 3-pointer.
Sterling’s Lucas Briar made three free throws and Kenan Comley added two free throws for a 68-62 lead.
Trevor Meyer scored 21 points for Larned (14-8), which last made the state tournament under coach Kevin Abbott. Galliart (11) and Jordan Zimmerman (11) scored in double figures.
Sterling (17-5) outscored Larned 39-15 on 3-pointers and 19-7 from the free throw line. The Black Bears made 13 of 35 3-pointers and the Indians made 5 of 24 from long range. Blake Richter (13) and Kyler Comley (10) scored in double figures.
Larned 12 18 17 17 — 64
Sterling 18 17 18 15 — 68
Larned—Meyer 21, Galliart 11, Zimmerman 11, Perez 9, Skelton 8, Herter 2, Robison 2.
Sterling—Kenan Comley 32, Richter 13, Kyler Comley 10, Briar 8, Winer 3, Hinshaw 2.
