EMPORIA — The Great Bend girls’ basketball season reads like a recurring nightmare.
The hustling Panthers delivered another heroic effort from a double-digit deficit, only to lose another close game 47-43 to Topeka-Shawnee Heights in the Glacier’s Edge Tournament.
Camryn Dunekack scored 14 points and Sydney Unruh (11) and Carley Brack (10) scored in double figures.
The Panthers (3-8) were challenged to shoot effectively from the perimeter against the Thunderbirds’ zone defense.
Shawnee Heights opened the game ahead 7-0 and closed the first half on an 11-0 run in a game that featured wild swings of momentum. The Thunderbirds led 29-18 at the outset of the second half sparked by a stunning 11-0 scoring run.
“We did not have girls mentally ready to shoot tonight,” said Great Bend coach Carrie Minton. “When you miss a couple, it plays in your head. Nobody wanted to take a shot. “Give them credit. They played a great zone defense; we have to step up and knock down shots.”
The Panthers showed the heart of a champion with an equally shocking 11-0 scoring run for a 29-29 tie. Sydney Unruh and Kaylee Unruh converted 3-pointers, Carley Brack and Sydney Unruh made free throws and Camyn Dunekack scored on a second-chance basket for a 29-29 tie.
Just as quickly, the Thunderbirds roared to a 44-36 lead behind Lydia Ostenson’s 22-point game and Alix Crawford’s 10 points.
But the pesky Panthers had one more scoring run. Jenna Mauler converted a 3-pointer for a 44-41 deficit and Carley Brack’s basket made it 46-43. Lauren Fleisher’s free throw handed the Thunderbirds a safe 4-point lead.
“We played really hard in spurts tonight,” Minton said. “In those spurts where we didn’t play hard enough, we got slow and got lost on defense. We’d give up back-to-back layups or foul them.”
The Panthers lost to Hays High in overtime and back-to-back games against Emporia (41-37) in double overtime and Shawnee Heights (47-43) that went down to the last play of the game.
“It was a frustrating night,” Minton said. “We’d breathe a sigh of relief, then have another letdown. Energy-wise, we didn’t feel like we were where we needed to be.”
GB 9 9 13 12 — 43
SH 15 10 9 13 — 47
GREAT BEND (3-8)—Dunekack 3 6-7 14, Sydney Unruh 3 3-6 11, Brack 3 4-6 10, Herter 1 0-0 2, Mauler 1 0-0 3, Kaylee Unruh 1 0-2 3, Totals 12 13-21 43.
SHAWNEE HTS (4-8)—Lydia Ostenson 7 7-12 22, Crawford 3 4-6 10, Riedel 3 1-2 8, Wells 1 0-0 2, Fulks 1 0-0 2, Fleisher 0 1-2 1, Petefish 1 0-0 2, Totals 16 13-22 47