The 29th Annual Hays City Shoot-Out basketball tournament tips off today at two locations in Hays.
Great Bend High School’s boys and girls play opening-round shoot-out games this afternoon at Felten Middle School. Great Bend’s boys take on Newton at 4 in one of two shoot-out lid-lifters, followed by the GBHS girls taking on Newton at 5:45.
Other teams in the tournament include DeSoto, Riley County, Colby, Hays-Thomas More Prep-Marian, Kearney, Neb., and host Hays High.
The winner of the GBHS-Newton girls game will advance to a 4 p.m. semifinal on Friday at Hays High against either TMP-Marian or DeSoto. The winner of the GBHS-Newton boys game advances to play at 5:45 on Friday at Hays High.
A loss would put Great Bend’s girls in a losers’ bracket game at 4 p.m. on Friday at Felten Middle School against the loser of the TMP-Marian and DeSoto game.
A GBHS boys loss would put the Panthers in a losers’ bracket game against either TMP-Marian or DeSoto at 5:45 p.m. on Friday at Felten.
The GBHS boys are coached by Chris Battin, and the girls are coached by Jason Tatkenhorst.

Didn’t you know?
Last year, Great Bend’s boys advanced to the shoot-out championship game, falling to Kearney, Neb., which returns again this year. The eight-school field remains intact, with the exception of DeSoto, located near Olathe, replacing Garden City. ... Great Bend’s boys own the largest margin of victory in shoot-out history, registering a 30-point win (75-45) over Kearney in 2006, a game where the Panthers tied the tournament record with Hays (1983) by converting 24 free throws. ... Kearney leads in shoot-out history with six championships, followed by Hays and Great Bend with five apiece. ... GBHS graduate Cindy Keeley shares the girls single-game shoot-out record for points with 38 in 2001. She also shares the single-game shoot-out record for individual field goals with three others at 14. ... Great Bend and Riley County’s girls set a 2007 shoot-out championship game record for points, combining for 104.

Hays City Shoot-Out

At Hays
Felten Middle School/
Hays High School

Today-Saturday

GIRLS
Today
4 p.m. — Riley County vs. Colby, (Hays High)
5:45 — Great Bend vs. Newton, (Felten Middle School)
7:30 — Hays High vs. Kearney, Neb. (Hays High)
9:15 — TMP-Marian vs. DeSoto (Felten)

Friday
Great Bend-Newton winning team vs. TMP-DeSoto winner, 4 p.m. (Hays High)
Great Bend-Newton losing team vs. TMP-DeSoto losing team, 4 p.m. (Felten)
Riley County-Colby winning team vs. Hays High-Kearney winning team, 7:30 p.m. (Hays High)
Riley County-Colby losing team vs. Hays High-Kearney losing team, 7:30 p.m. (Felten)

Saturday
Championship
Winning teams from semifinals meet at Hays High at 5:30 p.m.

Third place
Losing teams from semifinals meet at Hays High at 2 p.m.
Consolation
Winning teams from losers’ bracket games play in the consolation bracket at 1:30 p.m. at Felten.
Losing teams from losers’ bracket games play at 10 a.m. at Felten.

BOYS
Today
4 p.m. — Great Bend vs. Newton (Felten)
5:45 — Riley County vs. Colby (Hays High)
7:30 — TMP-Marian vs. DeSoto (Felten)
9:15 — Hays High vs. Kearney, Neb. (Hays High)

Friday
Great Bend-Newton winning team vs. TMP-DeSoto winner, 5:45 p.m. (Hays High)
Great Bend-Newton losing team vs. TMP-DeSoto losing team, 5:45 p.m. (Felten)
Riley County-Colby winning team vs. Hays High-Kearney winning team, 9:15 p.m. (Hays High)
Riley County-Colby losing team vs. Hays High-Kearney losing team, 9:15 p.m. (Felten)

Saturday
Championship
Winning teams from semifinals meet at Hays High at 7:30 p.m.

Third place
Losing teams from semifinals meet at Hays High at 3:45 p.m.

Consolation
Winning teams from losers’ bracket games play in the consolation bracket at 3:15 p.m. at Felten.

Seventh place
Losing teams from losers’ bracket games play at 11:45 a.m. at Felten.