BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com

DODGE CITY – Great Bend’s 8-1 lead turned into fool’s gold. The Red Demons missed 13 field goals and committed five turnovers.

But the Red Demons outscored the Panthers 43-23 for a dominating 44-31 Western Athletic Conference victory Friday. The Panthers shot 21 percent after the first quarter and committed 17 turnovers. The lead was gone by halftime with Dodge City ahead 14-12.

Panther Carley Brack scored 14 points, but her teammates combined for 6 of 35 shooting, 17 percent.

Great Bend (3-15, 1-5 WAC) has lost 10 consecutive games dating back to a 52-38 victory over Buhler Jan. 12. The Panthers finished 0-5 on its two-week western Kansas road trip covering 500 miles.

The Panthers must beat Liberal or Hays High to avoid a 170-mile road trip to Liberal for the 5A state basketball playoffs. The Panthers play Liberal at home Saturday night.

Friday’s game got away when Dodge City’s Kisa Unruh hit a pair of 3-pointers and Payton Magouirk hit a 3-pointers in a 17-point third quarter. The Panthers had no defensive answers for Chidera Okoro (14 points) and Ezinne Okoro (13 rebounds, six steals).

“We found ourselves in the same position we always find ourselves in. We gave up too many uncontested shots and got lost on defense.”

The offense also developed into a Rubik’s Cube. The Panthers had a 4-point and 7-point quarter.

“We didn’t take care of the basketball that second half,” she said. “We put up some ill-advised shots.”

GB 8 4 12 7 – 31

DC 3 11 17 13 – 44

GREAT BEND (3-15)—Brack 5-12 4-5 14, Clark 1-3 0-2 2, Herter 1-3 0-0 2, Dunekack 1-6 2-6 4, Mauler 0-5 2-2 2, Sydney Unruh 2-14 0-0 4, Kaylee Unruh 0-1 0-0 0, Mills 1-2 1-1 3, Urban 0-1 0-0 0, Totals 11-47 9-16 31.

DODGE CITY (10-8)—Chidera Okoro 6-8 2-2 14, Buller 2-5 4-6 8, Williams 1-7 0-0 2, Unruh 3-9 1-2 7, Magouirk 1-7 0-0 3, Ezinne Okoro 1-8 2-4 4, Gleason 0-2 0-0 0, Armstrong 0-4 4-4 4, 14-50 13-18 44.

3-pointers—GB 0-16 (Herter 0-1, K. Unruh 0-1, S. Unruh 0-4, Brack 0-3, Dunekack 0-3, Mauler 0-4), DC 3-14 (Unruh 2-7, Magouirk 1-4, Gleason 0-1, Armstrong 0-2). Rebounds—GB 35 (Dunekack 8), DC 43 (E. Okoro 13). Steals—GB 7 (S. Unruh 3), DC 11 (E. Okoro 6). Assists—GB 2 (Brack 1, Clark 1), DC 11 (Magouirk 3). TO—GB 17, DC 14.

 WESTERN ATHLETIC GIRLS
Liberal 5-1 17-1
Hays High 4-2 11-7
Dodge City 4-2 10-8
Great Bend 1-6 3-16
Garden City 2-5 6-13
FRIDAY
Garden City 50, Hays High 36
Dodge City 44, Great Bend 31
SATURDAY
Liberal 52, Great Bend 26
TUESDAY
Hays High at Dodge City
Garden City at Liberal