BOYS
HAYS 56,
GREAT BEND 30
HAYS – Great Bend’s slowdown strategy worked for a quarter, leading Hays High 8-7 after one quarter.
Hays started the second quarter on a 7-2 run and finished a 12-0 run behind Cash Hobson and Keith Dryden to roll ahead 26-13 at halftime. Hays controlled the second half for a 56-30 Western Athletic Conference basketball victory over the Panthers.
Great Bend’s Kody Crosby scored nine points and Trey Ibarra added six points. The Panthers made 10 of 35 field goals, 3 of 15 on 3-pointers. Great Bend (2-18, 0-8 WAC) plays at No. 1 seed Maize South (18-2) Thursday in Class 5A substate.
Hays High (13-7, 5-3 WAC) made 20 of 45 field goals and 8 of 2-0 3-pointers.
Brady Werth, a Fort Hays State University signee, scored 13 points. Werth is Hays High’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder. Hobson led all scorers, nailing three 3-pointers for 15 points. Isaiah Nunnery also connected on three treys and added 14 points.

Great Bend            8  5  12  5 — 30
Hays High              7 19 21  9 — 56
Great Bend – Crosby 9, Ibarra 6, Bryant 5, Murray 3,
Wondra 3, Basye 2, Ireland 2.
Hays High – Hobson 15, Nunnery 14, Werth 13, Dryden 8
Berens 5, Ficken 1.
GIRLS
HAYS 55,
GREAT BEND 48
HAYS – Great Bend’s girls turned an 11-point deficit for a 43-42 lead on Hays High on a 3-pointer by Regan Unruh. The Panthers swung the momentum with fullcourt pressure that forced 28 Indian turnovers.
Hays High’s Talyn Kleweno scored and Taylor George added two free throws for a 46-43 lead. The Indians led 51-48 when Brooke Russell’s shot hit the rim, but then bounced high and through the net for a 54-48 lead with 38 seconds left.
Unruh led Great Bend (8-12, 3-5) with 19 points and Lauren Welsch added nine points. The Panthers, who placed fourth at Class 5A state last year, travel to Newton (12-8) at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The winner plays Wichita Heights or Maize South.
Audra Schmeidler finished with a double-double for Hays High (6-14, 2-6) with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Kleweno added 10 points, highlighted by back-to-back 3-pointers for a 24-19 lead.
Great Bend led 13-3 before the Indians rallied with a 21-6 scoring burst for a 24-19 lead. The Indians scored the first eight points of the second half for a 32-21 lead.

Great Bend        13  8  11  16 — 48
Hays High           7  17 12  19 — 55
Great Bend — Unruh 19, Welsch 8, Dreiling 5, Kottas 4, Burkhart 4, Warren 2, Brack 4, Kasselman 2.