HAYS — Things were looking up for the Great Bend High School boys’ basketball team with 10 minutes remaining on the clock.
The Panthers were able to overcome a nine-point deficit heading into halftime to close the game to within two points.
However, Newton had other plans, shutting down the Panthers offense in the final eight minutes of play to win 55-29 in the Hays City Shootout, finishing in fifth place.
“We had a lot of good signs (Saturday night),” GBHS head coach Chris Battin said. “We battled back in the third quarter. We had a lot of energy. Unfortunately, we couldn’t do it in the fourth quarter.”
Dillon Reiser hit a 3-pointer and followed it up with a jumper on the following possession to slice into the Railers’ lead.
“We cut it to two, and even had a possession to tie it, but we couldn’t quite get it to work,” Battin said.
Reiser finished with a team-leading 10 points.
“Dillon did a nice job,” Battin said. “He made a real nice shot there, and got the energy going. He got the bench excited.
“The kids were excited. That was the difference between the third quarter and the fourth quarter. Third quarter, we played with a lot of energy and had a flow to the game, and the fourth quarter, we were just dead.”
Then the turnovers started to happen in the fourth quarter.
“It got out of hand,” Battin said. “We tried to do some things that maybe we’re not capable of to try to get back in it. Our kids played hard, and overall, I think we’re going to find out it was a good weekend.”
Nick Warren added seven points as Great Bend’s No. 2 scorer.

Friday
Garden City 56,
Great Bend 36
HAYS — Great Bend fell behind early against Garden City and couldn’t quite catch up in a semifinal game of the Hays City Shoot-out.
“They were more aggressive then we were,” Battin said. “We struggled offensively. Every time we cut into the lead, they’d push it back out again.
“At times, we struggled shooting, but really we just struggled to execute on offense.”
Trey Ibarra led Great Bend with 14 points, sinking a pair of 3-pointers.
Bryce Beck added 10 points, going 6-for-9 from the free-throw line.

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
Hays City Shoot-out

BOYS

At Hays
Hays High

Saturday

Newton 55, Great Bend 29
GREAT BEND (1-2)
     Jack Westhoff 0 0-0 0, Trey Ibarra 1 0-2 2, Kody Crosby 2 0-0 4, Bryce Beck 0 0-0 0, Blake Sullivan 1 0-1 3, Dillon Reiser 4 0-2 10, Wyatt Bryant 1 1-4 3, Nick Warren 3 1-2 7. Totals 12 2-11 29.
NEWTON
     Riley Kingsley 3 0-0 8, Jack Kingsley 2 0-0 5, Gunar Drinnen 3 0-0 7, Josh Carlgren 3 3-5 10, Tevin Berry 5 5-6 16, Brenden Downey 2 0-0 4, Josh Robinson 2 1-2 5. Totals 20 9-13 55.
Great Bend    3    11    5    10  —  29
Newton          7    14    7    27  —  55
     Three-point goals — Great Bend 3 (Reiser 2, Sullivan); Newton 6 (R. Kingsley 2, J. Kingsley, Drinnen, Carlgren, Berry).

Friday

Garden City 56, Great Bend 36
GREAT BEND (1-1)
     Jack Westhoff 0 0-2 0, Trey Ibarra 5 2-4 14, Kody Crosby 2 2-2 6, Bryce Beck 2 6-9 10, Blake Sullivan 0 0-0 0, Dillon Reiser 1 0-1 3, Tristan Titus 0 0-0 0, Wyatt Bryant 1 1-2 3, Nick Warren 0 0-0 0. Totals 11 11-20 36.
GARDEN CITY (2-0)
     Hunter Delgado 5 0-2 11, Miguel Olivas 1 0-0 3, Mitchell Hernandez 1 0-0 2, Tristan Hanninga 4 3-4 9, Emilio Parr 4 0-0 8, Nalen Rincones 1 0-0 3, Luis Rodriguez 1 2-2 4, Caleb Tramp 4 2-4 10. Totals 23 7-12 56.
Great Bend     11    8    8     9   —  36
Garden City    18    9    9    20  —  56
     Three-point goals — Great Bend 3 (Ibarra 2, Reiser); Garden City 3 (Delgado, Olivas, Rincones).