By Dustin Armbruster
Hays Post Sports
WICHITA - Hays High's bid for their first ever girls basketball title came up just short in a 49-48 loss to St. James Academy.
Hays (25-2) led just once in the game. Trailing 9-2 through the first six minutes, the Indians scored the final six points of the quarter to take a 10-0 lead.
That one point lead at the beginning of the second was the Indians only lead and it was short lived. St. James (23-5) opened the second quarter on a 10-2 run. That burst gave the Thunder a 19-12 lead at the 4:20 mark.
Hays scored the four points to get within three and had the ball but turned the ball over down 19-16. St. James held Hays silent for nearly three minutes. The Thunder used that time to build their lead to a first half high of nine at 25-16. Hays scored right before the first half ended for a 25-18 score into the locker rooms.
Highlights
Hays scored the first four points of the second half while holding St. James scoreless for three minutes and closed within one possession at 25-22. The Thunder found their groove again and went on a 12-4 run which gave them their first double-digit lead at 37-26. Hays again scored the final points of the quarter on a three pointer from Jenna Schmeidler to pull within a 37-29 score.
The Indians continued to chip away at the fourth quarter deficit. Trailing 43-38, Hays could not score on their next four possessions, missing three shots and turning the ball over once.
St. James pushed their lead back to seven with 1:14 left with two of four shooting at the free throw line.
Brynlee Rupp and Schmeidler made back-to-back threes to pull Hays back within on point at 47-46 and forced a Thunder timeout on the inbound to avoid a five second call. Hays was forced to foul and St. James made both for a 49-46 score.
Hays missed a three on the next possession but St. James fell down with the rebound which was called a travel with 4.1 second left. Hays inbounded one last time but didn't get a look at a three and ended up with a layup at the horn instead, falling 49-48.
Coach Len Melvin
Hays ends the season with a school record in wins at 25. It is the programs second ever runner-up finish at the state tournament, tying for their best finish.
St. James win their first title in program history.
Rupp 7, Schmeidler 17, Humphrey 0, LaBarge 0, Armbruster 1, Turner 4, Newell 0, Buckles 8, Winter 11.
Earlier in the day Andover (25-2) defeated Shawnee Heights (22-6) for third place. It is the third consecutive year that Andover has finished in third place.