HAYS — It all hinged on a pair of free throws from Great Bend High School’s Regan Unruh.
The junior guard dropped in both for a 54-53 lead with 6.3 seconds remaining in the consolation winners’ bracket game of the 30th Annual Hays City Shoot-Out on Saturday afternoon.
The Lady Panthers held on for the one-point victory over Riley County at Hays Middle School.
“We’re really happy with the girls’ performance,” GBHS first-year head coach Carrie Minton said. “We came out and played tough, hard-nosed defense. We stayed in there, and battled back in the fourth quarter.”
Unruh finished with a team-leading 14 points.
Great Bend (2-1) trailed 40-35 heading into the final eight minutes, but the Lady Panthers were able to turn things around.
“It was Kylee Spray who hit a 3-pointers to give us a lead,” Minton said. “We had been chipping away at their lead for awhile, but I think that was what swung the momentum for us.
“After that, we just kept pushing the ball up the floor.”
McKenna Mauler finished with 10 points.
Kaylie Doll and Morgan Harwood each added nine points, with five of Harwood’s total coming in the final quarter.
Great Bend travels to Junction City on Friday night, followed by a game at Manhattan on Saturday afternoon.

                                                            — Kevin Price

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
30th Annual Hays City Shoot-Out

GIRLS

At Hays
Hays Middle School

Saturday
Consolation winners’ bracket game

Great Bend 54, Riley County 53
RILEY COUNTY (1-2)
    Bree Busch 1 1-2 3, Madison Vargo 3 2-4 9, Alyssa Kulp 0 0-0 0, Katelyn Thomson 4 3-5 11, Taylor Oliver 3 0-0 9, Kristy Nixon 0 0-0 0, Heidi Prockish 2 4-6 8. Totals 18 13-21 53.
GREAT BEND (2-1)
    Hannah Hildebrand 0 1-2 1, Kelsie Doll 2 0-0 5, Kylee Spray 2 0-1 6, Regan Unruh 3 6-8 14, Kaylie Doll 3 2-4 9, McKenna Mauler 3 3-6 10, Tarynn Stueder 0 0-2 0, Morgan Harwood 3 3-4 9, Kalee Maneth 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 15-27 54.
Riley County    16    16    8    13  —  53
Great Bend      11    17    7    19  —  54
    Three-point goals — Great Bend 7 (Spray 2, Unruh 2, Ke. Doll, Ka. Doll, Mauler); Riley County 4 (Oliver 3, Vargo). Total fouls — Great Bend 20, Riley County 19. Fouled out — none.