By Dustin Armbruster
Hays Post Sports
HAYS - The Hays High Indians returned home on Thursday and host the Garden City Buffaloes. The game was moved up one day as Hays High prepares to host a 5A Super Regional boys' wrestling tournament on Saturday.
Girls
#4 Hays 56 - Garden City 30
Hays used a big third quarter to seize control of the contest winning over Garden City 50-36 to capture their third consecutive Western Athletic Conference title.
Neither team found much offense in the first half that ended tied at 17. Hays (19-1, 6-0) scored the first two points of the game but then went cold for four minutes. Garden City (13-8, 4-3) started by making their first four shots and taking a 10-2 advantage at the 5:56 mark.
Garden City didn't score for the next 8:16 of the games. The Indians could only manage seven points in that same stretch. All of the points were scored by Zoe Winter in the first quarter.
Trailing 10-7, Hays saw Garden City score the first five points of the quarter near the midway point for a 15-7 advantage. The Indians finally found some offense and scored the next 10 points. Molly Buckles scored a basket but missed a free throw on a three point opportunity. A Ramiyah Turner offensive rebound gave the Indians another chance with the ball that led to a Kinslee Newell three pointer at 15-12.
The run continued with Jenna Schmeidler's only two first half points and the first career three by Haley LaBarge for a 17-15 Hays lead. Garden City scored the final two points of the first half for a 17-17 tie at halftime.
Highlights
The third quarter is where Hays took control. The Indians were just 2 for 14 on three point attempts in the first half. Hays missed their first two of the second half then caught fire making their next six. The Indians used an 11-0 and 9-0 third quarter run to build their lead as big as 18 points at 42-24 on a Brynlee Rupp three pointer.
Hays led by 16 going to fourth quarter and quickly went on a 14-1 run to remove any doubt in the outcome. The Indians remained perfect in conference play with the 56-30 victory.
Coach Len Melvin
The victory is the 25th straight WAC win for the Indians. Hays made double-digit three pointers for a fourth time this season.
Rupp 8, Schmeidler 18, Humphrey 3, LaBarge 3, Koerner 0, Cunningham 0, Armbruster 6, Turner 0, Newell 3, Harrington 0, Buckles 2, Winter 13.
Boys
#9 Hays 64 - Garden City 45
Hays scored on their first nine possessions of the game on the way to a 64-45 victory over Garden City.
Each of the five starters for Hays (16-4, 6-0) scored one of the team's first give field goals as the Indians raced out to an early lead. Hays continued a super efficient first quarter making nine of their first eleven shots. The only two field goals Hays missed were rebounded by Izaac Fox and put in for two points each.
Hays led 20-7 after one quarter and took a 22-10 lead after a pair of Trey Oakley free throws with 6:17 remaining before halftime. That is when the fire alarms sounded and paused the game. The facility had to be evacuated and halted the Indians' momentum.
Garden City (10-11, 3-4) came out of the break outscoring Hays 6-2 to get within eight points at 24-16. That was the closest the Buffaloes would get for the remainder of the night. Dawson Ruder and Fox combined for a 10-4 run to closeout the first half with a 34-20 lead.
Highlights
Garden City went to a zone defense in an attempt to slow down the Indian inside game. Brody Harmoney opened the half with the second of his three, three point field goals and was followed shortly after by a Trey Oakley conventional three point play at 40-22.
Hays slowly built the lead over the remaining five minutes of the third quarter. Fox, Miles Day, and Bryce Homeier scored six quick points for the the first twenty lead point lead of the night at 46-24. The Indians led 51-28 after the third quarter.
Hays led by as many as 26 in the fourth quarter at 61-36 before Garden City scored eight in a row to keep the Indians from going up by thirty and enacting a continuous clock.
Day converted a three point play for the final Hays points in a 64-45 victory.
Coach Sean Dreiling
Hays remains atop the Western Athletic Conference standings with the victory. Izaac Fox recorded his ninth double-double of the season with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Dawson Ruder led Hays with 17 points and Trey Oakley scored 11.
The Indians host Dodge City for Senior Night on Tuesday. They will head to Great Bend next Friday to close the regular season.
Pfeifer 3, Burkholder 0, Homeier 2, Oakley 11, Harmoney 9, Schmidtberger 0, Fox 13, Smalley 0, Day 7, Prediger 0, Ruder 17, Loving 2.