By Dustin Armbruster
Hays Post Sports
TOPEKA – A long second half scoring drought cost Hays High in a 52-46 loss in Topeka against Seaman High School on Friday evening.
Hays (19-5) led early 5-1 on a pair of Trey Oakley field goals. The Vikings (21-4) scored seven quick points to take the lead back at 8-5. Oakley scored the Indians’ first ten points of the game including their next two field goals which tied the game at 8 and 10. Izaac Fox was the first player not named Oakley to scored for Hays. His first three points of the game gave the Indians a 13-10 lead they would take into the second quarter.
Fox scored the first four more points of the second quarter to give Hays another lead at 17-14. Back-to-back threes and a free throw from Seaman gave the Vikings the lead again at 21-17 with 1:51 left in the half.
Dawson Ruder scored his first points of the game on a pair of free throws and was followed up by two from Foxx to tie the game at 21. The Vikings grabbed two free makes of their own for a 23-21 halftime lead.
Highlights
The teams traded the lead through the first six-plus minutes of the third quarter. After falling behind by eight points, Oakley and Ruder combined for eight straight points to tie the game at 32 with 1:25 left in the third.
That is when the lid was placed on the basket for Hays. Trailing 38-32, Hays went 0-5 from the field and turned the ball over twice. Seaman was unable to score as well until their was 3:45 left in the game when they hit a three pointer for a 41-32 lead.
The Indians next three possession went dry as well. All told it was a 7:40 field goal drought until Ruder hit a three with 1:45 left in the game. During that long span, Hays made just one free throw.
Seaman kept Hays at arm’s length for the balance of the game and a 52-46 victory.
Coach Sean Dreiling
Oakley scored a career high 19 in his final game. He took two charges and leaves with the second most charges in a career at 31. Ruder scored 11 points and passed Brady Werth for most points in a career at 1,147.