In a tightly contested matchup, the Hays High Indians emerged victorious against the Great Bend Panthers with a final score of 50-37 in a Western Athletic Conference showdown. The game took place in Hays and showcased the resilience and defensive prowess of the Indians.
Throughout the first three quarters, the Panthers managed to keep pace with the state-ranked Indians, tying the game at 35-35. Despite struggling with their shooting, hitting only 34% from the field, Great Bend was just eight minutes away from claiming the top spot in the conference.
The critical turning point came in the fourth quarter, where the Indians” defense clamped down, limiting the Panthers to a mere one field goal out of 13 attempts. This defensive stand allowed Hays High to score the final 12 points of the game, securing their victory.
Great Bend”s Cooper Ohnmacht was a standout performer, scoring nine of his 16 points in the third quarter, utilizing a mix of mid-range shots and aggressive drives to the basket. Jacob Hall contributed 11 points but faced significant challenges against the focused Indian defense.
Despite the Panthers” efforts, their outside shooting was a significant weakness, finishing the game with just four successful three-pointers out of 20 attempts. On the other side, Hays High”s Isaac Fox delivered a solid performance, finishing with 14 points, while Dawson Ruder added 13 points despite facing a tough Great Bend defense, particularly from Daxton Minton, who played a crucial role in the second half.
The scoring breakdown for Great Bend showed Ohnmacht leading with 16 points, followed by Hall with 11. The Panthers struggled overall, with a shooting tally of 14 out of 51 attempts. In comparison, Hays High shot 18 of 43, demonstrating more efficiency, particularly from the free-throw line, where they converted 12 out of 19 attempts.
In a separate matchup, the Hays girls team also secured a win against Great Bend, finishing with a score of 61-22. The girls” performance highlighted the dominance of Hays athletics in the conference.
This win improves Hays High”s record to 12-3 overall and 3-0 in the conference, while Great Bend falls to 8-7 and 1-1 in conference play.
