BY JIM
MISUNAS
The Great Bend girls basketball team played a winning style, making the Hays Thomas More Prep Marian Monarchs work for everything they earned.
The Monarchs fought off the pesky Panthers 49-39 despite one of Great Bend’s better efforts of the season.
Great Bend (1-17) has lost 14 consecutive basketball games, but the Panthers scratched and worked for all four quarters. There was no typical scoring letdown that allows teams to run away from the vertically challenged Panthers.
Jenna Mauler and Candice Smith each scored 10 points and sparkplug Sydney Unruh added seven points along with Jaclynn Schroeder. The Panthers scored 14 points in the third and fourth quarters.
The Monarchs (13-4) outscored the Panthers 30-28 after halftime in an evenly played second half. The Panthers worked within 34-30 on Sydney Uruh’s basket and 36-32 on another Unruh score. But the Monarchs answered the threat with back-to-back rebound baskets by Jillian Lowe and Emilee Lane that produced a 3-point play. The Monarchs scored 14 second-chance points against the shorter Panthers.
“We’ve had a few better games overall, but that was one of our better efforts of the season,” said Great Bend coach Carrie Minton. “The girls did a nice job making them work for everything they got that second half.”
Adell Riedel scored the Monarchs; only field goal in the fourth quarter on a 3-pointer for a 52-43 lead. The Monarchs scored 13 free throws in the fourth quarter The Panthers had no answer for the Monarchs 18 of 29 free throw shooting. The Panthers misfired from the line with 6 of 18 attempts.
The Monarchs’ offense slowed after the Panthers adjusted defensively after fired in a trio of 3-pointers the first half in addition to nine second-chance points.
“The girls did a nice job adjusting,” Minton said. “They’re a tough team to defend becuase of the way they shoot the basketball.”
Great Bend ends the regular season at home Friday against Dodge City and travel to No. 2 ranked 6A Liberal Saturday. The Panthers are locked into a play-in game for the 5A post-season playoffs.
Hays-TMP 15 14 14 16—59
Great Bend 8 13 14 14—49
TMP (13-4)—Riedel 6-15 4-5 19, Allen 2-5 6-10 11, Lowe 4-8 2-4 11, Schippers 2-5 3-4 7, Lane 2-6 1-4 5, Wasinger 2-6 0-0 4, Hamel 0-2 2-2 2, Totals 18-47 18-29 59
GREAT BEND (1-17)—Mauler 3-9 3-5 10, Smith 5-8 0-0 10, Schroeder 2-2 1-2 7, Sydney Unruh 3-13 0-0 7, Keller 1-1 0-0 3, Kaylee Unruh 2-7 0-2 4, Warren 0-3 1-4 1, Harbaugh 2-3 1-5 5, Wasinger 1-1 0-0 2, Totals 19-48 6-18 49
3-pointers--T 5-17 (Riedel 3-10, Allen 1-2, Lowe 1-2, Schippers 0-1, Hamel 0-1, Lane 0-1), GB 5-16 (Schroeder 2-2, Keller 1-1, Mauler 1-4, S. Unruh 1-6, Smith 0-1, K. Unruh 0-2)
WAC GIRLS
Liberal 6-0 18-0
Hays High 5-2 11-7
Garden City 3-3 11-7
Dodge City 2-3 7-10
Great Bend 0-6 1-17
TUESDAY—Hays-TMP, Great Bend; Garden City 46, Dodge City 40; Abilene 62, Hays High 48; Liberal 60, Cimarron 35
FRIDAY—Dodge City at Great Bend; Hays High at Garden City
SATURDAY—Great Bend at Liberal
LIBERAL (6-0, 18-0)—W Holcomb 66-19; W Guymon, Okla. 44-20; W Dumas, Texas 51-31; W Wichita Trinity 51-36; W Scott City 60-26; W Perryton, Texas 59-38; W *Hays High 61-42; W *Garden City 53-22; Salina (W Wichita West 51-29; W Salina South 54-37; W Salina Central 59-45); W Hugoton 52-31; W *Great Bend 74-32; W Guymon, Okla 62-39; W * Hays High 55-34; W *Dodge City 47-36; W Cimarron 60-35; 2-16—*at Great Bend; 2-18—*at Dodge City; 2-19—*Garden City
HAYS HIGH (4-2, 11-6)—W Great Bend 79-44; L Manhattan 39-49; L Millwood, Okla. 40-57; Colby 47-44; W Pratt; L *Liberal 42-61; W *Great Bend 64-41; Colby Tournament (W Goodland 59-36; W Scott City 68-50; W Colby 50-19); W Salina Central; L Salina South 49-54, OT; W *Dodge City 41-37; W *Garden City 41-38; W *Great Bend 60-29; L *Liberal; L Abilene 48-62; 2-15—*at Garden City; 2-19—*Dodge City; 2-22—Abilene
GARDEN CITY (3-3, 11-7)—W Guymon, Okla. 59-50; W Coronado, Colo. 39-22; W Palmer Ridge, Colo. 46-27; W Holcomb 43-29; L Deer Creek, Colo. 45-52; W Junction City 64-41; W *Great Bend 47-29; L *Liberal 22-53; L Ulysses 42-49; Newton Tournament (L Andover Central 38-52; L Newton 33-35; W Kapaun-Mt. Carmel 40-37); L *Dodge City 39-46; W Guymon, Okla. 49-45; L *Hays High 38-41; W Hugoton 42-31; W *Great Bend 57-53; W *Dodge City 46-40; 2-15—*Hays High; 2-19—*at Liberal
DODGE CITY (2-3, 7-10)—W Junction City 55-22; L Newton 40-53; L Maize 44-61; W Hugoton 50-46; W Guymon, Okla. 45-31; L McPherson 52-66; W Cimarron 54-40; L Ulysses 31-42; W *Great Bend 54-40; Newton Tournament (L Ulysses 24-29, L Wichita SE 39-69); W *Garden City 46-39; L *Hays High 37-41; W Ulysses 41-40; L *Liberal 36-47; L *Garden City 40-46; 2-15—*at Great Bend; 2-18—*Liberal; 2-19—*Hays High
GREAT BEND (0-6, 1-17)—L Hays High 44-79; L St. Thomas Aquinas 41-71; L Hays-TMP 50-53; W Junction City 60-25; L Salina Central 42-71; L Hutchinson 48-50; L Buhler 45-53; L *Garden City 29-47; L *Hays 41-64; L *Dodge City 40-54; Topeka (L Shawnee Heights 15-52; L SM East 40-44; L Shawnee Heights 33-51); L Wamego 40-58; L *Liberal 32-74; L * Hays High 29-60; L *Garden City 53-57; L Hays-TMP; 2-15—*Dodge City; 2-16—*at Liberal
