HAYS — Hays High basketball coach Sean Dreiling gave Great Bend no respect when he started three seniors to replace three starters on Senior Night in a battle for the Western Athletic Conference championship.
The Panthers buried the Indians with a 15-0 start that fueled a dominating 66-32 rout to silence a capacity Hays crowd and entertain the fans from down south. It marked the first time in Hays High basketball history that a league road opponent had ignited a running clock against the Indians.
Cooper Ohnmacht triggered a running clock with a basket for a 60-30 lead shortly after Ben Nicholson started to empty the soon-to-be-retired Hays gym with a slam dunk off transition for a 53-23 lead.
No. 4 ranked Great Bend (18-2, 8-0) captured the WAC with an unbeaten record to secure a home playoff game against Goddard (6-14). It's the first time since 2017 the Panthers won at Hays.
"The WAC championship usually runs through Hays. There's no denying that," said Great Bend coach Kyle Kriegh. "But we've got a great group of kids. It's grit, no doubt about it. The guys controlled their emotions."
The Panthers responded with a near-perfect masterpiece after a Tuesday's 54-40 setback to Central Kansas League champion Hesston.
"After Tuesday's loss they understood it was all business," Kriegh said. "The guys responded. They deserve credit."
The Indians had no defensive answer for all-stater Ian Premer, who scored 24 points off 11 of 12 shooting. Premer dished out a career high seven assists. Great Bend converted 28 of 39 field goals (72%) and seven of nine 3-pointers (77%) behind pin-point passing and offensive execution. The Panthers shooting by quarter was eye popping — 9 of 14, 6 of 9, 8 of 10 and 5 of 6.
Great Bend converted 13 of 16 field goals (81%) the second half after 65% shooting the first half (15 of 23). Premer and Hall combined for 17 of 20 field goal with Hall knocking down a career best trio of 3-pointers with six assists. Great Bend dished out 21 assists on 28 baskets.
"We worked on our offensive movement and that helped with our spacing," Premer said. "We wanted to get out front early and execute. If they double me, I'll gladly toss it out for 3s. We made inside-outside 3-pointers. It was a great atmosphere. It's good when you see people leaving in bunches."
Nicholson inherited the night's key defensive assignment on Indian sharpshooter Tiger Johnson who torched the Panthers for 17 points in the first meeting. Premer and Hall played big-boy basketball to limit Hays' leading scorer Dawson Ruder to eight points and a pair of frustration offensive fouls. The Indians converted 9 of 35 field goals (26%) and shot 10% on 3-pointers.
"We came out mano-on-mano, and I'll take Great Bend kids every time," Kriegh said. "Ben (Nicholson) did a great defensive job on Johnson. We didn't front Dawson Ruder and help from outside."
The Panthers' defense was targeted on Johnson and Ruder. They pressured the Indians with denial man-to-man defense rather than mixing and matching zone defenses the first time they played Hays. Premer, Hall and Nicholson contested the Indians' inside shots.
"I guarded the post and did the best I could," Premer said. "We did a good contesting and rebounding. We knew it'd be a physical game."
Great Bend 21 13 19 13 — 66
Hays High 7 11 7 7 — 32
GREAT BEND (18-2, 8-0)—Ian Premer 11-12 (1-1) 1-2 24, Jacob Hall 6-8 (3-4) 0-2 15, Nicholson 6-8 (2-3) 0-0 14, Ohnmacht 3-6 (1-1) 0-0 7, Minton 1-2 0-0 2, Totals 28-39 (7-9) 3-6 66
HAYS HIGH (12-8, 6-2)—Oakley 2-6 5-8 9, Ruder 2-7 4-4 8, Cao 1-5 (0-4) 2-2 4, Jacobs 0-1 0-0 0, Lindenmeyer 1-5 (0-1) 1-2 3, Johnson 1-6 (1-5) 0-0 3, Fox 2-5 1-2 5, Totals 9-35 (1-10) 13-18 32
HAYS GIRLS 67, PANTHERS 23 — The Great Bend girls enjoyed a few sparkling moments in a 67-23 basketball setback that clinched the first unbeaten girls season for the Hays High Indians.
No. 1—Alyssa McCauley delivered a memorable inbounds play when she bounced the basketball off the back of Indian Jenna Schmeidler, retrieved the ball and knocked down a baseline jumper. McCauley and Alex Mayers combined for a 7-0 third-quarter scoring run.
No. 2—Jillian Reimer converted her first 3-pointer. She scored the game's first basket for a 2-0 Panther lead and led Great Bend with six points.
No. 3—Post player Chayla Prendergast showed her confidence with a career best 10-rebound night.
The bad news?
The Panthers (6-14, 2-6 WAC) will return to Hays Tuesday for 5A substate postseason play. It's the first time in KSHSAA basketball history that a team will play three consecutive games against teams which finished with 20-0 records — Hesston (20-0), Hays High (20-0) and Hays High (20-0).
The Panthers were overwhelmed by the Indians' speed and athleticism with 32 turnovers that fueled a layup drill for Hays. Katie Linenberger dominated inside with 16 points and superb shotmaking. Super freshman Jenna Schmeidler added 14 points off 100% shooting. Molly Martin converted a trio of 3-pointers and scored 11 points.
Great Bend won a pair of WAC games against Dodge City, but lost the other six league games on running fourth-quarter clocks. Still, the Panthers kept their poise and have competed to the best of their ability all season.
"Hays has a good basketball program," said Great Bend coach Jade Winter. "We tried to not to let them fluster us too much. Chayla (Prendergast) grabbed every rebound she was within range of. She was a workhorse underneath. Her confidence has improved, which has helped. She's trying to make her teammates better."
Great Bend 6 4 9 4 — 23
Hays High 22 19 18 8 — 67
GREAT BEND (6-14, 2-6)—Reimer 2-2 (1-1) 1-2 6, McCauley 2-7 (1-6) 0-0 5, Meredith Mazouch (0-1) 2-2 2, Ellegood 1-8 (0-1) 0-2 2, Harbaugh 1-2 (0-1) 0-0 2, Predengast 1-3 0-0 2, Mayers 1-4 (0-2) 0-0 2, Bryant 1-5 0-2 2, Katherine Mazouch 0-1 0-0 0, Minton 0-1 0-0 0, Totals 9-34 (2-12) 3-8 23
HAYS HIGH (20-0, 8-0)—Linenberger 6-8 4-5 16, Schmeidler 6-6 2-2 14, Martin 4-9 (3-6) 0-0 11, Humphrey 1-1 0-2 2, Winter 1-4 0-0 2, Armbruster (0-1) 0-0 0, Dreher 0-5 (0-2) 1-2 1, Buckles 3-6 0-0 6, Zoe Winter 1-6 (0-1) 1-2 3, Roa 2-3 2-2 6, Newell 1-3 (1-1) 0-0 3, Cunningham 0-1 0-0 0, Harrington (1-1) 0-0 3, Totals 26-54 (5-12) 10-15 67
5A BOYS WEST
GREAT BEND—1 Great Bend 18-2 vs. 16 Goddard 6-14; 8 Andover Central 12-8 vs. 9 Newton 11-9
WICHITA—2 Wichita Kapaun Mt. Carmel 17-3 vs. 15 Salina South 7-12; 7 Hays High 12-8 vs. 10 Maize South 11-9
ANDOVER—3 Andover 17-3 vs. 14 Salina Central 8-11; 6 Topeka West 12-8 vs. 11 Hutchinson 10-10
TOPEKA—4 Topeka Seaman 13-7 vs. 13 Valley Center 10-10; 5 Emporia 12-7 vs. 12 Wichita Carroll 10-10
5A GIRLS WEST
HAYS—1 Hays 20-0 vs. 16 Great Bend 6-14; 8 Hutchinson 14-6 vs. 9 Andover Central 13-7
TOPEKA—1 Topeka Seaman 20-0 vs. 15 Topeka West 5-14; 7 Wichita Kapaun Mt. Carmel 15-5 vs. 10 Valley Center 10-10
ANDOVER—3 Andover 19-1 vs. 14 Goddard Eisenhower 6-14; 6 Wichita Carroll 15-5 vs. 11 Salina South 10-10
ARKANSAS CITY—4 Arkansas City 18-2 vs. 13 Goddard 7-13; 5 Maize South 17-3 vs. 12 Salina Central 10-10
