After Western Athletic Conference champion Hays High School built a 39-25 lead over Great Bend after three quarters on Friday night, the Lady Panthers found their deficit too much to overcome.
Although Great Bend finally hit its stride late, going on a 16-14 run over the course of the final eight minutes, it could only get within 11 points down the stretch. Hays, ranked No. 6 in Class 5A in the latest Kansas Basketball Coaches Association poll, capped its unbeaten conference season with a 49-33 victory at Panther Fieldhouse.
“We knew we were going to have to play a complete basketball game,” GBHS head coach Jason Tatkenhorst said. “We liked how we started out ahead 3-0, but then we started committing turnovers and it was suddenly 12-3.”
Paige Lunsford scored 17 points, including 11 in the second half, and Janae Gagnon had a career-high 13 points for the Lady Indians (16-4, 8-0), who won for the 13th time in the last 14 outings, building a full head of steam for next week’s sub-state play.
“They’re doing what good teams do now,” Tatkenhorst said of Hays. “They’re finishing their shots and limiting their turnovers.
“They’re patient, and they know who they want to have the ball in their hands.”
In the regular-season and home finale for the Lady Panthers (3-17, 2-6), senior Liz Kutina and sophomore Morgan Harwood, both post players, scored eight points apiece to lead Great Bend. It will play an opening-round sub-state game at top-seeded Newton on Thursday night at 7.
 Great Bend’s flurry of fourth-quarter points made for a case of too little, too late as Hays, which led by 12 points at halftime, was able to keep its distance throughout the second half. In the previous week, the Lady Indians captured their first WAC championship since the 2002-03 season.
Gagnon scored all eight of her first-half points in the opening quarter as Hays built a 14-7 lead after the opening period, a lead it extended to 23-11 at halftime. Lunsford scored all six of her opening-half points in the second quarter, where the Lady Indians outscored GBHS 9-4.
Great Bend held an early 3-0 lead after Kelsey Crosby’s 3-point hit, but Gagnon then got out on the run and scored six straight points during a one-minute, 51-second stretch for a 6-3 lead at the 4:53 mark.
Gagnon had eight of the Lady Indians first 12 points, and her basket came before Great Bend finally broke a 6:08 drought as Harwood banked one off the window with 50 seconds left in the quarter to make it 12-5.
After Hays’ Katelyn Schumacher converted two free throws for a 14-5 edge, Kutina hit a basket with two seconds left in the period to make it a seven-point game.
Great Bend was forced to play catch-up the rest of the way.


HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
Western Athletic Conference

At Great Bend
Panther Fieldhouse

GIRLS

Friday

Hays 49, Great  Bend 33
GREAT BEND (3-17, 2-6)
     Brandi Schneider 0 0-0- 0, Emily Cruse 0 6-6 6, Olivia Basye 0 0-0 0, Katelyn Henning 0 1-2 1, Hannah Hildebrand 0 0-0 0, Liz Kutina 4 0-3 8, Regan Unruh 0 0-0 0, Kaylie Doll 0 2-2 2, McKenna Mauler 0 0-0 0, Tarynn Stueder  0 1-2 1, Morgan Harwood 4 0-0 8, Kelsey Crosby 3 0-0 7. Totals 11 10-15 33.
HAYS (16-4, 8-0)
      Paige Lunsford 7 3-5 17, Janae Gagnon 4 5-6 13, Taylor Herman 1 0-1 2, Hanna Pfannenstiel 2 0-0 4, Kaitlin Gulley 0 0-0 0, Megan Bird 0 1-2 1, Emily Braun 1 0-0 2, Katelyn Schumacher 4 2-2 10. Totals 19 11-16 49.
Hays               14   9  12  14  —  49
Great Bend      7    4   6   16  —  33
    Three-point goals — Hays (None); Great Bend 1 (Crosby). Fouled out — None.

JUNIOR VARSITY
Great Bend 47, Hays 43, OT
Great Bend’s Kylee Spray sank 1 of 2 free throws to send Friday’s JV game into overtime tied at 43.
Spray then converted two foul shots at the outset of OT, followed by Hannah Hildebrand and Kaylie Doll each making 1 of 2 at the line as the Lady Panthers outscored Hays 4-0 in the extra period.