Western Athletic Conference leader Liberal delivered a resounding message with a dominating 52-26 victory Saturday over the Great Bend Panther girls basketball team.
Liberal (17-1, 5-1 WAC) moves into the WAC lead while Great Bend must defeat Hays High Feb. 23 to avoid a first-round 5A playoff game at Liberal Feb. 28. Liberal has clinched the top seed in the west while the Panthers own the 16th-best record.
Liberal’s Katie Hornya made a miraculous recovery from an apparent early-game ailment, with a 23-point night and a pair of 3-pointers. Hornya left the game after she fouled and had teammate Whithey Hay shoot her two free throws. But Hornya recovered quickly and played a brilliant game attacking the basket and distributing the basketball. Machia Mullens and Aubrey Warden each added seven points.
“Liberal is a very good basketball team,” said Great Bend coach Carrie Minton. “They’re a tough defensive team. We made some turnovers and they are quick on their fast break.”
The Panthers (3-16, 1-6 WAC) played its first home game since Jan. 30 following a five-game, 500-mile road trip to Liberal, McPherson, Garden City, Hays and Dodge City. The Panthers have lost 10 consecutive games since beating Buhler 52-38 Jan. 12 at home.
Bethany College signee Carley Brack handed the Panthers an early lead with a 3-pointer. The Panthers hung within 14-10 after one quarter. Brack finished with 14 points. Brack converted 9 of 13 free throws. Her teammates shot 4 of 30 from the field.
Maybe The Panthers should’ve felt good about their 5 of 19 shooting the first half. Shailey Clark made the Panthers’ only second-half field goal in a 1 of 22 second-half against a defense that gave the Panthers the outside shot. Balls bounced in-and-out, clanked off the rim and did everything but fall through the net.
Minton said her team eventually felt the frustation.
“The girls played hard, fought and battled,” she said. “We missed some threes early. We just couldn’t get any shots to fall tonight. I saw the shot charts and wasn’t surprised by what I saw.”
Liberal 14 15 13 10 – 52
Great Bend 10 5 7 4 – 26
LIBERAL (17-1)—Hornya 9-14 3-3 23, Warden 2-3 3-3 7, Lucero 2-7 0-0 6, Gilmore 0-5 2-4 2, Whitney Hay 2-6 1-2 5, Watt 1-1 0-0 2, Warden 2-3 3-3 7, Reece Hays 0-1 0-0 0, Alarcon 0-1 0-0 0, Minjarez 0-1 0-0 0, Totals 19-47 10-15 52.
GREAT BEND (3-16)—Brack 2-11 9-13 14, Clark 1-5 0-0 2, Herter 0-1 0-0 0, Dunekack 1-6 0-0 2, Mauler 1-7 0-2 2, Mills 1-1 1-1 3, Urban 0-4 0-1 0, Sydney Unruh 0-4 0-0 0, Totals 6-41 13-21 26.
3-pointers—L 4 (Lucero 2, Hornya 2), GB 1 (Brack 1).
WESTERN ATHLETIC GIRLS
Liberal. ... 5-1 17-1
Hays High 5-2 12-7
Dodge City 4-2 10-8
Great Bend 1-6 3-16
Garden City 2-6 6-14
FRIDAY
Garden City 50, Hays High 36
Dodge City 44, Great Bend 31
SATURDAY
Liberal 52, Great Bend 26
5A WEST GIRLS
1—Liberal 17-1
2—Maize High 13-5
2—Salina Central 13-5
2—Wichita Carroll 13-5
5—Newton 12-6
6—Wichita Heights 11-7
7—Andover 10-7
7—Goddard 10-7
9—Valley Center 9-8
10—Emporia 8-9
11—Wichita Kapaun-Mt. Carmel 8-9
12—Maize South 7-10
13—Salina South 6-12
14—Topeka West 4-14
14—Goddard Eisenhower 4-14
16—Great Bend 3-16
