Panthers lose 61-60 in final seconds
BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
It was truly a Valentine’s Day Heartbreaker.
The Hays Thomas More Prep Monarchs escaped with a thrilling 61-60 basketball victory over 5A Great Bend, thanks to a last-second foul. Monarch big man Dylan Werth converted a free throw with 0.8 left on the clock for the game-winning point.
Panther Cayden Scheuerman missed a 3-point attempt with a 60-60 tie. The Panther crowd was shocked when Ian Premer was whistled for his fifth foul against Werth on a contested rebound. Werth made the first free throw, but threw the basketball against the backboard without hitting the rim to give the Panthers a chance.
Scheuerman, the Panthers’ starting football quarterback, threw an unbelievable 94-foot pass off the Panthers’ backboard, but no one was able to tip the basketball into the basket.
The Panthers rallied from a 59-56 deficit after the Monarchs converted five free throws. A Tyler Stuhlsatz steal set up Scheuerman for a basket off Braylon Council’s assist. Ian Premer’s driving basket gave the Panthers a 60-59 lead. But Werth forced a 60-60 tie on a free throw.
“We got a good shot at the top of the key,” said Great Bend coach Kyle Kriegh. “We got defensive stops late that gave us a chance. It stinks the way it ended.”
Great Bend (9-8) is projected for a No. 10 seed in the 5A West with games left against Dodge City Friday, Liberal Saturday and Hays next week.
The evenly-matched affair swung back-and-forth through the 32 minutes. The Panthers enjoyed superb balance with Premer (16), sparkplug Tyler Stuhlsatz (12), Maddox Spray (11) and Scheuerman (10) scoring in double figures. As usual, Carter Coombs and Council expertly handed the basketball for quality shots.
Stuhlsatz and Scheuerman gave the Panthers a lift with 10-point second halves.
“We gave it our all. Tyler is a warrior. We say that every game,” Kriegh said. “Carter did a a good job keeping the ball moving on the baseline. Our guys did good.”
The Monarchs’ 6-foot-8 Werth was trouble all night with a 23-point night off 10 of 12 shooting. Luke Rome added 11 points. The Monarchs (16-2) did just enough from the perimeter with four 3-pointers.
Hays TMP 8 19 18 16 — 61
Great Bend 10 20 16 14 – 60
HAYS-TMP (16-2)–Werth 10-12 3-5 23, Harris 3-4 2-2 9, Mindrup 1-4 2-4 5, Schumacher 1-6 3-6 6, Rozean 2-4 2-2 7, Rome 5-7 1-1 11, Totals 22-37 13-20 61
GREAT BEND (9-8)–Premer 6-15 4-4 16, Spray 4-6 2-4 11, Scheuerman 4-10 1-1 10, Stuhlsatz 6-10 0-0 12, Coombs 2-8 3-4 7, Hall 1-3 0-0 2, Council 1-3 0-0 2, Totals 24-55 10-13 60
3-pointers–TMP 4-11 (Harris 1-1, Rozean 1-2, Mindrup 1-4, Schumacher 1-4); GB 2-13 (Spray 1-2, Scheuerman 1-5, Hall 0-1, Stuhlsatz 0-1, Coombs 0-2, Premer 0-2)
WESTERN ATHLETIC BOYS
Garden City 6-0 17-1
Hays High 3-2 10-7
Great Bend 3-2 9-8
Dodge City 1-4 5-12
Liberal 0-5 2-15
2-13—Goodland 76, Liberal 50
2-14—Hays TMP 61, Great Bend 60; Garden City 49, Dodge City 45; Hays 60, Abilene 44
2-17—Dodge City at Great Bend; Hays at Garden City
2-18—Great Bend at Liberal
GARDEN CITY (6-0, 17-1)—W Coronado, Colo. 71-43; Lakewood, Colo. 74-38; Palmer Ridge, Colo. 59-45; Coronado, Colo. 83-60; Scott City 55-41; W Wichita Life Prep 57-43; W Wichita East 53-39; W *Great Bend 58-55; W *Liberal 86-59; W *Hays 60-54; Valley Center (W Sunrise 60-50; W Wichita NW 58-41; L Heights 47-60); W Goodland 63-55 (OT); W *Dodge City 66-37; W Guymon, Okla. 57-42; W *Great Bend 56-47; W *Dodge City 49-45; 2-17—*Hays; 2-21—*at Liberal
HAYS HIGH (3-2, 10-7)—W Newton 65-40; L Free State 54-59; W Hugoton 57-56; L Manhattan 44-60; L Junction City 45-47; W Wichita North 58-50; W *Liberal 60-34; L *Great Bend 47-64; L *Garden City 54-60; Colby (W Goodland 51-33; L Olathe North 28-39; W Colby 55-48); W Scott City 51-38; W *Dodge City 56-33; L McPherson 50-56; W *Liberal 76-36; W Abilene 60-44; 2-17—*at Garden City; 2-21—*at Dodge City; 2-24—*Great Bend
GREAT BEND (3-2, 9-8)—L Junction City 51-84; L Sterling 50-56; W Conway Springs 73-20; L Wichita Sunrise 54-57; W Larned 60-33; W Emporia 66-65; W *Garden City 55-58; W *Hays 64-47; L Hutchinson 53-69; El Dorado (W Manhattan Home 65-54; W Collegiate 61-66; L Kapaun 50-65); W *Dodge City 57-53; W *Liberal 72-42; W Buhler 66-53; L *Garden City 47-56; L Hays TMP 60-61; 2-17—*Dodge City; 2-18—*at Liberal; 2-24—*at Hays
DODGE CITY (1-4, 5-12)—L McPherson 32-74; L Manhattan 32-59; L Junction City 41-76; W Woodward, Okla. 73-35; L Wichita Southeast 31-68; W Garden Plain 67-57; W Wichita Trinity 69-41; L Guymon, Okla. 34-39; W *Liberal 73-47; Dodge City (L Derby 34-58; L Carroll 34-58; W Newton 58-56); L *Great Bend 53-57; W *Garden City 37-66; L *Hays 33-56; L Colby 39-44; L *Garden City 45-49; 2-17—*at Great Bend; 2-21—*Hays; 2-23—*at Liberal
LIBERAL (0-5, 2-15)—W Ulysses 74-60; L Scott City 44-66; W Coronado, Colo. 74-69; L Wichita North 58-62; L Pittsburg Colgan 54-75; L Hugoton 38-75; L *Hays 38-60; L *Garden City 59-86; L *Dodge City 47-73; Salina (L Abilene 42-64; L Salina South 43-55; L Buhler 48-67); L Hooker, Okla. 43-55; L *Great Bend 42-72; W Guymon, Okla. 48-65; L *Hays 36-76; L Goodland 50-76; 2-18—*Great Bend; 2-21—*Garden City; 2-23—*Dodge City
