Panthers avenge setback to Buffaloes
BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
It was payback time for the Great Bend boys basketball team.
When Great Bend misses tying Hays High for the Western Athletic Conference basketball title, they’ll surely look back at the Panthers 57-56 loss to Garden City Jan. 5. Buffalo Emilio Zundt scored the game-winning free throw Jan. 5.
Panther Ian Premer dominated the paint with four slam dunks to spark a rousing 78-52 rout of the Buffaloes Friday before a raucous Homecoming crowd. Premer highlighted a 22-point outing with quality dunks for leads of 4-2, 10-4, 23-20 and a finishing touch at 66-39 that led to a running clock.
Ben Nicholson triggered the running clock in the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer for a 69-39 lead.
Premer converted 10 of 15 field goals and scored 16 second-half points. The Panthers made 30 of 51 field for a season-best 59%. Maddox Spray (15) and freshman Cooper Ohnmacht (10) scored in double figures.
“If we played Garden City 10 times, we should beat them nine out of 10,” said Great Bend coach Kyle Kriegh.
Guard Carter Coombs, always accepting positive coaching, played spectacular with perfect passing and seven points. His back-to-back assists to Jacob Hall and Spray helped the Panthers lead 39-30 at halftime fueled by a 11-2 scoring burst.
“I’m tough on Carter, but he listens and he’s okay with that,” Kriegh said. “Carter was a perfect example of us making the extra pass tonight. We were executing tonight.”
Kriegh unleashed the inside presence of Premer after halftime after Hall did his damage before halftime. Premer hit 7-of-8 field goals as the Panthers converted 15 of 22 field goals (68%) after halftime.
“We decided to work Ian more inside because we’re more balanced that way,” Kriegh said.
Ohnmacht found offensive gaps for perfect 5-for-5 shooting for a career high. Izeah Reed’s assist to Ohnmacht resulted in a back-door basket and a 77-49 lead.
Garden City (7-9, 2-3 WAC) was sparked by Zundt with a spectacular 24-point night and four 3-pointers. Maliek Kinney sparked the Buffaloes with 10 points and 4-of-4 shooting off the bench.
Kinney and Kolten Davis were tagged with technical fouls to provide the Panthers with four extra free throws.
Garden City 20 10 9 13 – 52
Great Bend 21 18 27 12 – 78
GARDEN CITY (7-9, 2-3)—Zundt 9-18 2-2 24, Kinney 4-4 0-0 10, Munoz 2-2 0-0 4, Burns 0-2 2-2 2, Monarez 0-3 0-0 0, Rosales 1-5 0-0 2, Longa 2-5 0-0 4, West 1-1 0-2 2, Davis 1-4 2-2 4, Totals 20-44 6-8 52.
GREAT BEND (12-5, 3-2)—Premer 10-15 2-4 22, Spray 5-10 5-6 15, Ohnmacht 5-5 0-0 10, Hall 2-6 4-5 9, Nicholson 2-4 1-2 6, Minton 1-2 2-3 4, Reed 1-1 0-0 2, Dicks 1-3 0-0 3, Coombs 3-5 0-0 7, Kern 0-0 0-2 0, Totals 30-51 14-22 78.
3-pointers—GC 6-20 (Zundt 4-10, Kiney 2-2, Davis 0-3, Monarez 0-2, Burns 0-1, Rosales 0-2) GB 4-11 (Hall 1-1, Coombs 1-3, Nicholson 1-3, Dicks 1-3, Premer 0-1).
