Hays High hit the road on Friday to Dodge City to resume Western Athletic Conference play. Both Indian squads entered as conference leaders with a 3-0 mark. They left the conference record unblemished.
Girls
Hays 48, Dodge City 29
Hays High turned a tie ball game after one quarter to a 48-29 victory by the end of the game.
Dodge City led just one time in the game. A 5-2 advantage was quickly wiped away by Hays with five straight points. The Red Demons tied the game just one more time with a pair of free throws at 7-7.
An 8-2 run in the second quarter by Hays put the Indians up 19-11. Dodge City was held to just five second quarter points as Hays led 19-12 at halftime.
Hays used two second half 10-0 runs to take firm control of the game. The first one put Hays up 29-15 after Dodge City opened the second half with a three pointer.
The Red Demons did close the gap down to eight before the Indians again scored ten straight points. Seven of those to end the third quarter for a 38-23 advantage. Dodge City never got closer than 14 rest of the way as Hays won 48-29.
Riley Dreher and Molly Martin led Hays with 11 points each. The 11 points for Dreher is a career high. All ten players that entered the game for Hays scored. All ten also recorded at least one rebound. Dodge City was led by a game high 14 from Ashlyn Lembright.
Hays is 9-5, 4-0 after their first game of February. Dodge City falls to 5-9, 1-2.
Boys
Hays 49, Dodge City 32
Hays High scored the first nine points of the game and never trailed in a 49-32 win over Dodge City.
Nine straight points by Hays to open the game forced a Dodge City timeout three minutes into the game. The Red Demons responded out of the break with seven straight points to get the closest they would be all night at 9-7.
Hays scored the final six of the quarter which included two technical free throws after the quarter had ended for a 15-7 lead. The Indians pushed their lead to 14 on three different occasions in the second quarter. Each time the Red Demons trimmed it back. Hays led 29-17 at halftime.
Hays started the third quarter cold allowing Dodge City to inch back into the game. The Indians missed the first six field goal attempts and were called for two charges. The Red Demons though could only muster four points on their end and get within nine at 30-21. Even with the cold third quarter Hays still outscored Hays 8-6 in the frame.
Hays was never threatened in the fourth quarter stretching their lead to 16 on a few occasions and ended up winning 49-32.
Dawson Ruder led Hays with a game high 19. Jack Weimer added 14 points. Dodge City was led by Jaiden Springer's ten points.
Hays improves to 9-5, 4-0. Dodge City falls to 7-7, 2-1.
The Indians return home on Tuesday to face a pair of state ranked McPherson teams.