In a game where the Great Bend High School boys’ basketball team only turned the ball over nine times, it was those turnovers that meant the difference against Liberal.
The Redskins won the Western Athletic Conference game 54-42.
Down 24-23 with less than three minutes remaining in the third quarter, Liberal intercepted a couple of off-target passes and stripped senior Jace Bowman of the ball to charge down the floor for a few easy layups on the other end to close the quarter on an 8-3 run.
“You know, we only turned it over nine times and unfortunately the ones led to layups,” GBHS head coach Chris Battin said. “That hurts when your turnovers lead to points. Sometimes those turnovers don’t lead to points, but ours did.
“They led to layups and so they got some easy points.”
Jace Bowman, who led the Panthers with 15 points, received a technical foul after an on-court argument and was removed from the game at the end of the third quarter.
Down the stretch, GBHS got three-point plays from Matt Marshall and Bryce Beck, but Liberal’s Osvaldo Villareal and DeVondre Livingston made enough free throws to remain ahead.
Livingston led the Redskins with 16 points.

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
Western Athletic Conference

At Panther Fieldhouse
Great Bend

BOYS

Saturday

Liberal 54, Great Bend 42
LIBERAL (7-11, 3-3)
     DeVondre Livingston 5 6-10 16, Osvaldo Villareal 2 6-8 12, William Ross 5 2-2 13, Kenlee Washington 1 1-1 3, Britton Abbott 2 0-0 4, Andre Jackson 2 0-2 4, JJ Lewis 0 0-0 0, Cliff Collins 1 0-0 2. Totals 18 15-23 54.
GREAT BEND (5-14, 1-6)
     Connor Sell 1 1-2 3, Matt Marshall 3 3-8 9, Chad Touslee 1 1-2 3, Bryce Beck 2 1-1 5, Johnny Allende 0 0-0 0, Gabe Joiner 0 0-0 0, Jace Bowman 3 9-11 15, Ethan Henderson 3 0-0 6, Blaise Cain 0 1-2 1. Totals 13 16-26 42.
Liberal               10  10  12  22  —  54
Great Bend          8  11   7  16  —  42
     Three-point goals — Liberal 3 (Villareal 2, Ross); Great Bend (none).