BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
Guard Carter Coombs sparked pin-point passing with numerous assists and Cayden Scheuerman scored a career high 20 points as Great Bend sped past Liberal 72-42 in Friday's basketball Homecoming game.
Coombs keyed a 40-point Panther first half with perfect passing along with teammates Braylon Council and sparkplug Scheuerman.
"My goal is to get everyone involved on offense," said Coombs, who gives the Panthers the luxury of a quality ballhandler. "We played really good basketball tonight. We wanted to play with energy, get steals and play fast."
The Panthers blitzed Liberal with a 20-5 first-period burst off aggressive defense and rebounding. Council sparked a fast-breaking offense with a trio of early steals off 10 Liberal turnovers. Premer capped the first quarter with a slam dunk off a steal. The fast pace continued with a 20-point second quarter fueled by Spray's seven points. Time-after-time, the Panthers delivered the extra pass for an easier basket for a 40-14 halftime lead.
Great Bend placed Maddox Spray (13), Tyler Stuhlsatz (11) and Ian Premer (11) in double figures. The left-handed Stuhlsatz and left-handed Premer seemingly baffled Liberal's defense by consistently driving the basketball to their strong side.
The Panthers (8-6, 3-1 WAC) play at Buhler Tuesday and head to next week's showdown for a share of the WAC lead at Garden City (15-1, 4-0).
Scheuerman took command with a 15-point second half.
Great Bend coach Kyle Kriegh saw the Panthers establish a confident, attacking defensive and offensive style.
"We attacked the paint and attacked the boards," said Kriegh. "We rebounded the basketball at a high level. Cayden (Scheuerman) played amazing. He was calling plays and taking charge out there."
The drama continued until the finish when Liberal's Izzy Rotolo-Garcia bought into the legend of Panther Kendryk Turner. Things get interesting when the 5-foot-7 Turner, a former basketball manager turned folk hero, checks into the game.
Sure enough, Turner started launching up 3-pointers in the game's final minute. After a trio of Panther offensive rebounds, Liberal's Rotolo-Garcia became a fan favorite when he rebounded, but passed back to Turner for a fifth 3-point attempt.
Turner missed, but no one will forget Rotolo-Garcia's gracious gesture.
Liberal (2-12, 0-4 WAC) was paced by James Fleser with 10 points and Zayden Martinez added eight points.
Liberal 5 9 13 15 — 42
Great Bend 20 20 21 11 — 72
LIBERAL (2-12, 0-4)—Rotolo-Garcia 2-7 0-0 4, Kappelmann 2-8 1-3 5, Fleser 4-8 0-0 10, Mata 1-1 0-0 3, Martinez 3-4 2-2 8, Jennings 1-1 2-2 4, Tafoya 0-0 2-2 2, Garcia 2-4 0-0 6, Calvillo 0-2 0-0 0, Chamberlain 0-4 0-0 0, Totals 15-39 7-9 42
GREAT BEND (8-6, 3-1)—Scheuerman 8-13 1-2 20, Spray 6-10 1-2 13, Premer 5-12 1-1 11, Stuhlsatz 5-6 1-2 11, Council 2-4 0-2 4, Dicks 1-2 0-0 2, Hall 2-5 0-2 4, Coombs 3-5 1-2 7, Turner 0-5 0-0, Totals 32-63 5-13 72
3-pointers—L 5-15 (Fleser 2-4, Garcia 2-4, Mata 1-1, Kappelmann 0-1, Rotolo-Garcia 0-2, Chamberlain 0-3); GB 3-13 (Scheuerman 3-5, Council 0-1, Spray 0-1, Coombs 0-2, Turner 0-5)
WESTERN ATHLETIC BOYS
Garden City 4-0 15-1
Great Bend 3-1 8-6
Hays High 2-2 8-6
Dodge City 1-3 5-10
Liberal 0-4 2-12
1-31—Garden City 66, Dodge City 37; Hays 51, Scott City 38; Hooker, Okla. 55, Liberal 43
2-3—Great Bend 72, Liberal 42; Garden City 57, Guymon, Okla. 42; Hays 56, Dodge City 33
GARDEN CITY (4-0, 15-1)—W Coronado, Colo. 71-43; Lakewood, Colo. 74-38; Palmer Ridge, Colo. 59-45; Coronado, Colo. 83-60; Scott City 55-41; W Wichita Life Prep 57-43; W Wichita East 53-39; W *Great Bend 58-55; W *Liberal 86-59; W *Hays 60-54; Valley Center (W Sunrise 60-50; W Wichita NW 58-41; L Heights 47-60); W Goodland 63-55 (OT); W *Dodge City 66-37; W Guymon, Okla. 57-42; 2-10—*Great Bend; 2-14—*at Dodge City; 2-17—*Hays; 2-21—*at Liberal
GREAT BEND (3-1, 8-6)—L Junction City 51-84; L Sterling 50-56; W Conway Springs 73-20; L Wichita Sunrise 54-57; W Larned 60-33; W Emporia 66-65; W *Garden City 55-58; W *Hays 64-47; L Hutchinson 53-69; El Dorado (W Manhattan Home 65-54; W Collegiate 61-66; L Kapaun 50-65); W *Dodge City 57-53; W *Liberal 72-42; 2-7—at Buhler; 2-10—*at Garden City; 2-14—Hays TMP; 2-17—*Dodge City; 2-18—*at Liberal; 2-24—*at Hays
HAYS HIGH (2-2, 8-6)—W Newton 65-40; L Free State 54-59; W Hugoton 57-56; L Manhattan 44-60; L Junction City 45-47; W Wichita North 58-50; W *Liberal 60-34; L *Great Bend 47-64; L *Garden City 54-60; Colby (W Goodland 51-33; L Olathe North 28-39; W Colby 55-48); W Scott City 51-38; W *Dodge City 56-33; 2-7—at McPherson; 2-10—*Liberal; 2-14—at Abilene; 2-17—*at Garden City; 2-21—*at Dodge City; 2-24—*Great Bend
DODGE CITY (1-3, 5-10)—L McPherson 32-74; L Manhattan 32-59; L Junction City 41-76; W Woodward, Okla. 73-35; L Wichita Southeast 31-68; W Garden Plain 67-57; W Wichita Trinity 69-41; L Guymon, Okla. 34-39; W *Liberal 73-47; Dodge City (L Derby 34-58; L Carroll 34-58; W Newton 58-56); L *Great Bend 53-57; W *Garden City 37-66; L *Hays 33-56; 2-10—Colby; 2-14—*Garden City; 2-17—*at Great Bend; 2-21—*Hays; 2-23—*at Liberal
LIBERAL (0-4, 2-12)—W Ulysses 74-60; L Scott City 44-66; W Coronado, Colo. 74-69; L Wichita North 58-62; L Pittsburg Colgan 54-75; L Hugoton 38-75; L *Hays 38-60; L *Garden City 59-86; L *Dodge City 47-73; Salina (L Abilene 42-64; L Salina South 43-55; L Buhler 48-67); L Hooker, Okla. 43-55; L *Great Bend 42-72; 2-7—Guymon, Okla.; 2-10—*at Hays; 2-13—at Goodland; 2-18—*Great Bend; 2-21—*Garden City; 2-23—*Dodge City
