For the second day in a row, things went well for the Great Bend High School boys’ basketball team in the first quarter.
For the second day in a row, things turned on the Panthers in a hurry as Manhattan pulled away in the second quarter and amassed a 20-point cushion on its way to a 65-44 win on Saturday afternoon at the Panther Fieldhouse.
“I thought we played with much better energy today, with much better effort,” GBHS head coach Chris Battin said. “The kids competed, on the glass especially. We’re just going to have to find ways to take care of the basketball better in traps.
“When we do break traps, we have to attack. That’s what’s been holding us back so far.”
Manhattan scored the first four points of the game, but Great Bend’s Wyatt Bryant responded.
The 6-foot-2 junior knocked down a jumper in the lane and one of two free throws, and Bryce Beck cut to the hoop for a layup on the following possession for a 5-4 lead.
The Indians went ahead 8-5, but Kody Crosby hit a layup and Blake Sullivan dropped in a 3-pointer to give Great Bend a 10-8 lead after eight minutes.
“Blake shot it well,” Battin said. “He’s very capable. He can hit the 3, so it was nice to see him step up and get his points today. It’s nice to add him to our line up that can score.”
Things went south from there for Great Bend as Manhattan started to pull away, outscoring the Panthers 25-8 in the second quarter.
Crosby led the Panthers with nine points, going 5-for-5 from the free-throw line.
Sullivan added eight points.

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
Non-Conference

BOYS

Saturday

At Great Bend
Panther Fieldhouse

Manhattan 65, Great Bend 44
MANHATTAN
     Cole Dillon 0 0-2 0, Darian Taylor 2 0-1 4, Gabe Aubrey 4 1-1 11, Alex Stitt 2 2-2 6, Pierson McAtee 2 0-0 5, Chris Martin 3 0-0 6, Payton Stephens 6 5-6 17, Tyler Daveline 0 1-2 1, Winston Dimel 3 1-3 7, Garrett Francis 2 0-0 4, Daryl Mallett 1 0-0 2, Antwon Hicks 1 0-0 2. Totals 26 10-17 65.
GREAT BEND (1-4)
     Jack Westhoff 1 0-2 2, Trey Ibarra 1 0-0 3, Kody Crosby 2 5-5 9, Bryce Beck 2 2-2 6, Blake Sullivan 2 2-4 8, Dillon Reiser 1 2-3 5, Tristan Titus 1 0-0 2, Wyatt Bryant 2 1-8 5, Nick Warren 1 2-2 4. Totals 13 14-26 44.
Manhattan      8    25    22    10  —  65
Great Bend    10     8    11    15  —  44
     Three-point goals — Manhattan 3 (Aubrey 2, McAtee); Great Bend 4 (Sullivan 2, Ibarra, Reiser).