By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER
Hays Post Sports
LIBERAL - The remainder of the Hays High basketball schedule will all be Western Athletic Conference games. The stretch of contests began in Liberal on Friday evening.
Girls: #5-5A Hays 65, #9-6A Liberal 42
Hays made a season high 14 three point shots in a 65-42 victory over Liberal to remain undefeated in conference play.
Liberal (13-3, 3-2) led twice early at 3-0 and 10-8. Hays (18-1, 5-0) sparked an 11-0 first quarter run to take the lead away for good. Zoe Winter hit a pair of free throws to tie the game, Morgan Armbruster gave the Indians the lead they would never relinquish on a three pointer and Jenna Schmeidler finished the run with back-to-back three pointers.
Hays led 19-12 heading into the second quarter when Liberal got with in five on the first basket of the next eight minutes. The Lady Red got the ballgame down to a three point contest at 24-21 before Hays took over again. A Winter three point play and Annie Humphrey three pointer jump started a 14-2 surge that gave the Indians a 38-23 advantage on a Ramiyah Tuner three pointer. Liberal scored the final two points of the half for a 38-25 score.
Highlights
Liberal never made a run at Hays in the second half. The Indians opened the half on a 13-2 run for a 51-27 lead and forcing a Liberal timeout at the 2:25 mark. The Lady Red did respond with four points to end the third quarter to close the margin down to 51-31.
Hays continued bury three pointers in the fourth quarter and ran away with a 65-42 victory.
Coach Len Melvin
Schmeidler scored 30, including a school-record tying eight made three pointers. Armbruster(2), Humphrey(1), Turner(1), Newell(1), Winter(1) added to the 3 point total. Hays has won 24 straight conference games.
Rupp 3, Schmeidler 30, Annie Humphrey 3, LaBarge 0, Cunningham 0, Armbruster 6, Turner 3, Newell 3, Harrington 0, Buckles 2, Winter 15.
Boys: #7 Hays 65, Liberal 41
Hays High used a big second quarter run to take over the game in a 65-41 victory over Liberal.
Liberal (1-16, 0-5) had five first half leads. Four of those leads came in the first quarter before the Indians scored the final points of the quarter for a 13-10 lead. The Redkins scored the first seven points of the second quarter to take their final lead at 17-13, forcing a timeout.
The remainder of the half belonged to Hays (15-4, 5-0). The Indians scored the next 15 points to separate themselves from Liberal. Andre Pfeifer, Izaac Fox, Dawson Ruder, Miles Day and Brody Harmoney all scored during the run that gave the Hays a 28-17 lead. Liberal scored with thirty seconds left before halftime for a 28-19 difference at the break.
Highlights
Hays came out of the locker room looking to add to the lead and they did just that. Trey Oakley opened with a three, Ruder and Pfeifer added a field goal each as the Indians quickly pushed the lead to 16 at 35-19.
The Indians led by 16 points a total of five times before Fox threw down a breakaway right-handed dunk for a 50-32 lead at the end of three quarter.
Hays never gave Liberal a chance to build any momentum in the 65-41 victory for the Indians.
Coach Sean Dreiling
Dawson Ruder moved to second all-time in scoring at 1,025 points, passing Matt Stramel. Liberal has lost 38 straight WAC games.
Hays will host Garden City on Thursday. That is a change in date from the original schedule due to Hays hosting a 5A Super Regional Wrestling Tournament on the 21st.
Pfeifer 5, Burkholder 0, Homeier 5, Oakley 3, Hardman 0, Harmoney 2, Schmidtberger 3, Fox 16, Smalley 3, Day 9, Prediger 0, Ruder 19, Loving 0.