HAYS — It’s always nice to start things off with a win.
For Great Bend High School’s boys’ basketball team, that win did not come easy on Thursday afternoon.
The Panthers trailed most of the game, but they took the lead late in the third quarter and locked it down with free throws for a 59-53 win.
“We trailed almost the entire game,” GBHS head coach Chris Battin said. “Late in the third quarter and into the fourth, we went on a 17-2 run and finally took the lead.”
The win advances the Panthers to a semifinal game today at 4:45 p.m. against Garden City, which beat Thomas More Prep Marian 65-54 on Thursday in the Hays City Shoot-out.
“It’s always tough to get that first win,” Battin said, “especially on the road. The kids played well and made their free throws down the stretch.”
Great Bend made 11 of 18 free throws in the fourth quarter, and 20 of 32 overall.
Battin said it was a 3-pointer from Dillon Reiser at the end of the third quarter that really seized the momentum for Great Bend.
“Reiser was the highest point-scorer for us,” Battin said. “He hit a few 3s. It was just a big shot at the end of the quarter that really got the team fired up. It’s one of those you’re really happy about.”
Reiser finished with 16 points, including four 3-pointers.
Trey Ibarra added 11 points for Great Bend, and Kody Crosby scored 10, going 5-for-6 from the free-throw line.

                                        — Kevin Price

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
Hays City Shoot-out

BOYS

Thursday

At Hays
Hays Middle School

Great Bend 59, Colby 53
GREAT BEND (1-0)
     Jack Westhoff 0 0-0 0, Trey Ibarra 4 3-5 11, Kody Crosby 2 5-6 10, Bryce Beck 0 6-10 6, Blake Sullivan 1 0-0 2, Dillon Reiser 6 0-0 16, Wyatt Bryant 2 1-3 5, Nick Warren 2 5-8 9. Totals 17 20-32 59.
COLBY
     Chandler Comfort 4 0-0 8, Cameron Brown 6 1-7 13, Connor Schwanke 0 0-0 0, Donte Whitfield 0 1-2 1, Aaron Faber 1 0-0 2, Luke Cox 2 0-1 4, Ashton Russ 0 0-0 0, Adam Giersch 3 0-0 6, Austin Russ 1 0-0 3, Marc Bremenkamp 7 2-4 16. Totals 24 4-14 53.
Great Bend    14    13    15    17  —  59
Colby    19    12    16     6   —  53
     Three-point goals — Great Bend 5 (Reiser 4, Crosby); Colby 1 (Au. Russ).