Hays High's first game action of 2024 came three weeks after their final game of 2023. The Indians traveled to Garden City on Friday night.
Girls
Hays 57 Garden City 26
Hays High called a timeout after giving up the first three points of the game in the first ninety seconds while not scoring themselves. The Indians responded out of the timeout with a 14-0 run and never looked back on the way to a 57-26 victory over Garden City.
The big first half run put Hays out front 14-3. The game would be a single digit affair just one more time. Garden City scored the final four points of the first quarter to draw within nine at 19-10.
Hays led by as many as 19 in second quarter and 32-18 at halftime.
Neither team could find many points to score in the third quarter. The Indians and Buffaloes evenly split ten points.
The fourth quarter belonged to Hays with a 20-3 advantage resulting in a 57-26 win.
Molly Martin led all scoring with 21. Katie Linenberger added 12.
Hays improves to 5-3, 2-0. Garden City has lost four games in a row and falls to 5-4, 0-2.
Boys
Hays 66 Garden City 64
It took the entire 32 minutes, but Hays High did just enough to pick up a road win in Garden City 66-64 when Jack Weimer hit a left handed floater at the buzzer.
The game featured nine lead changes and six ties. Hays led by five and trailed by as many as seven in the first half. The Indians took the lead at the end of first half with just three seconds on the clock.
Hays built their lead up to five once again in the third quarter at 38-33 and led for most of the frame. Garden City's basket in the late moments of the third gave them a 53-51 lead heading to the fourth. The Buffaloes made six of seven threes in the quarter.
Garden City continued to build their lead through the first four minutes of the final quarter. The Buffaloes made five of six shots and a free throw for a 64-66 advantage with half of the quarter remaining.
They shot just one more time the remainder of the game. Seven fourth quarter turnovers let Hays pull closer and close the game on a 10-0 run. The final points coming as time expired when Jack Weimer hit a left handed runner and putting Hays ahead 66-64.
Weimer led the Indians with 18. Both Kyzer Fox and Trey Oakley added career highs. Fox scored 17 and Oakley knocked in 14 points.
Hays improves to 4-4, 2-0. Garden City falls to 4-5, 1-1.
The Indians are off until Thursday when they open play at the 39th Annual Orange and Black in Colby.