The TMP girls closed out their non-conference schedule with a double-digit win over the Great Bend Panthers while the TMP boys rallied for a win in the final seconds over the Panthers Tuesday at Al Billinger Fieldhouse in Hays.
Girls: TMP 58, Great Bend 47
The TMP Lady Monarchs outscored Great Bend 16-3 to open the
game and led wire-to-wire, despite a late comeback attempt from the Panthers in
a 58-47 win Tuesday.
TMP seniors Emilee Lane and Kassidi Yost combined to score 14 of the first 16 points of the game for TMP as the Monarchs rushed out to a 16-5 first quarter lead.
The Monarchs (15-3, 8-1 MCL) took their biggest lead of the second half at 15, 26-11 thanks to a 10-4 run aided by 3-pointers from Megan Hamel and Brooke Koeningsman.
Great Bend (6-11, 1-4 WAC) closed the gap to nine at the end of the first half at 26-17.
They finished the first half and opened the second half on a 9-0 run to cut it to a six-point TMP lead at 26-20.
But the Monarchs were quickly able to get it back to a 15-point margin at the end of the third quarter thanks to Sophia Balthazor who scored seven points in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter TMP had built a 22-point lead at 51-29 before Great Bend took advantage of the Monarchs attempt to coast the rest of the way.
Great Bend was able to erase the double-digit deficit and pulled within seven at 52-45 thank to a 16-1 run.
TMP went back to their starters and key reserves and closed the game out for a 58-47 win.
Emilee Lane scored a game-high 17 points. Sophia Balthazor scored all 13 of her points in the second half and Kassidi Yost added 12 points.
Boys: TMP 39, Great Bend 36
The TMP boys scored the final eight point of the game and Kenton
Ginther鈥檚 3-pointer with three second lefts lifted the Monarchs to a 39-36 win
over Great Bend.
Senior Andrew Schwartz got the scoring started for TMP (14-3, 8-0 MCL) with a 3-pointer on the Monarchs first possession.
Great Bend (6-11, 2-3 WAC) countered with a 6-0 run to lead 6-3. The two teams traded the lead back-and-four before a Great Bend three at the end of the quarter gave the Panthers a 13-12 lead.
Dylan Werth scored five straight to start the second quarter for TMP, part of 12 straight Werth points, to put TMP up 17-13.
A second Schwartz 3-pointer gave TMP a 20-15 lead but Great Bend quickly erased that deficit and stormed back to take the lead.
The Panthers ended the first half and opened the second half on an 11-0 run to take a 26-20 lead.
Great Bend led by five twice in the third quarter and twice more in the fourth quarter, the last time at 36-31 with just over five minutes left in the game.
TMP held Great Bend scoreless for the final five minutes while they finished on an 8-0 run.
A Dylan Werth field goal cut it to a three-point Panther lead and then with just over three and a half minutes left Kade Harris hit his only field goal, a 3-pointer that tied the game at 36.
Neither team was able to break the tie until Kenton Ginther hit his second 3-pointer of the night to put TMP up 39-36 with just three second left.
Kade Harris stole a pass on Great Bend鈥檚 final offense possession that sealed the 39-36 win for TMP.
TMP鈥檚 Dylan Werth led all scorers with 18 points.
The TMP girls and boys teams travel to Norton Thursday as they return to MCL play.