McPHERSON — Two things couldn’t happen, providing Great Bend High School wanted to upset No. 2-ranked McPherson on Tuesday night in a Class 5A sub-state tournament game.
First, the Lady Panthers couldn’t afford to have a drought while McPherson went on a 15-0 game-opening run, like what occurred the last time these two teams met in January during a McPherson runaway.
Secondly, Great Bend needed to take care of the basketball, minimizing the Bullpups’ possessions.
Neither occurred.
McPherson, leading 13-6 early in the second quarter, went on a 17-2 run during the final seven minutes of the half for a 33-8 halftime lead and pulled away for a 58-30 victory.
“I don’t mean to be negative against McPherson,” Great Bend head coach Jason Tatkenhorst said. “But I was really disappointed in what we did.
“We can catch the ball, we can dribble the ball and we can shoot the ball and we didn’t do that in the first half.”
McPherson (19-2), which converted 21 of 27 free throws, advances to Friday’s sub-state semifinal against Emporia, while Great Bend ends its season at 9-12.
After committing 24 first-half turnovers, the Lady Panthers’ chances diminished. Going a five-minute stretch without a point during the second quarter, Great Bend never could find any cohesiveness offensively and finished with 31 turnovers on the night.
“I was really disappointed that we didn’t give them a better half of basketball in that first half. We needed halftime to come real quick and we tried to call timeouts to do anything to get us going,” Tatkenhorst said. “I’m proud of the girls that they didn’t quit at halftime.”
Senior guard Casyn Buchman pumped in 10 of her game-high 18 points in the first half for the Bullpups, who made 17 of 40 shots (42.5 percent) from the floor on the night. Southpaw post player Sarah Gaeddert hit five of her six shots from the floor and had nine of her 11 points by the break. Katelyn Loecker also added 11 points for McPherson.
Junior post player Liz Kutina led the Lady Panthers with six points and senior guard Lexie Brack finished with five points.
Great Bend graduates seven seniors — Brack, Cassidy Tutak, Kaitlee Spray, Jennifer Allende, Taycee Bunn, Jordan Haney and Kalie LeShore.
“They don’t come any better,” Tatkenhorst said. “Great girls, and they always enjoyed coming to practice. One thing about these seven seniors over the last four years, we’ve experienced a lot of lows but we’ve also experienced a lot of highs.
“Their sophomore year, we were in the state championship game for 5A”
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
Class 5A Sub-State
Basketball Tournament
Opening round
At McPherson
The Roundhouse
No. 2 McPherson High School 58,
Great Bend 30
GREAT BEND (9-12)
Brandi Schneider 0-0 0-0 0, Emily Cruse 0 2-2 2, Alexis Brack 2-6 0-0 5, Kelsey Crosby 0-2 0-0 0, McKenna Mauler 0-0 0-0 0, Liz Kutina 2-3 2-2 6, Kaitlee Spray 1-4 0-0 2, Jennifer Allende 1-1 0-0 2, Taycee Bunn 0-3 11-2 1, Cassidy Tutak 2-5 0-0 5, Kalie LeShore 1-2 1-3 3, Jordan Haney 1-2 2-2 4. Totals 10-28 8-11 30.
McPHERSON (19-2)
Leigh Loving 0-1 0-0 0, Tanner Hein 1-6 4-4 7, Kirsten Holle 0-1 2-2 2, Hailey Ruder 0-0 2-2 2, Casyn Buchman 5-11 7-8 18, Paige Regnier 0-0 0-0 0, Ashton Bruner 1-5 0-2 2, Abby Pederson 2-2 0-0 5, Kasee Tully 0-0 0-0 0, Sarah Gaeddert 5-6 1-2 11, Moria Pyle 0-0 0-0 0, Katelyn Locker 3-8 5-7 11. Totals 17-40 21-27 58.
Great Bend 4 4 13 9 — 30
McPherson 13 20 13 12 — 58
Three-point goals — McPherson 3-12 (Hein 1-5, Buchman 1-4, Pederson 1-1, Holle 0-1, Loving 0-1); Great Bend 2-5 (Brack 1-2, Tutak 1-1, Spray 0-2). Rebounds — McPherson 26 (Bruner 9, Buchman 5); Great Bend 19 (Haney 4). Assists — McPherson 10 (Gaeddert 3); Great Bend 4 (Brack 2).
