Panthers capture Bluestem Classic
BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
EL DORADO – Total domination.
Great Bend’s basketball team swept past state-ranked Wichita Collegiate 60-35 Saturday to capture the school’s eighth El Dorado Bluestem Classic, the first title since 2010.
Sharpshooter All-Tournament Peyton Duvall drilled a career high six 3-pointers and scored 20 points. The Panthers converted 13 of 22 3-pointers to outscore the Spartans 39-0 from long range.
Duvall dialed long distance eight times and drilled five after halftime. Duvall scored nine points in the third quarter and nine in the fourth quarter.
“Once I hit my first shot, I’m usually feeling good,” Duvall said “After I hit my third one, it felt like my night. Coach wants us to keep shooting it as long as it’s a good quality look.”
The Panthers led 30-17 at halftime, but kept attacking the basket and kicking back for open 3-pointers. The Panthers hit 5 of 9 the first half and 8 of 13 after halftime.
“That brings a smile to your face,” said Great Bend coach Tim Brooks, who captured his signature victory at Great Bend. “Once Peyton got hot, you knew it was going in.”
Defensive specialist Dalton Miller dug down for his finest defensive game of his career. Miller totally shut out Collegiate’s Division I recruit Gradey Dick for three quarters as he missed his first 12 field goals. Miller took Dick’s drive away and he finished 2 of 16 shooting for seven points.
“Gradey’s a really good player. We could see that,” Miller said. “My goal was to always stay with him, maybe get under his skin. Coach needed somebody to step up. We’ve been playing pretty good defense.”
The Spartans missed nine 3-pointers and converted 12 of 39 field goals. The Panthers converted several steals into transition points.
“What a job by Dalton. Dalton is athletic and a strong and determined defender,” Brooks said. “We tried to wear him down. Our guys were flying around tonight. We took our defense to another level tonight.”
The Panthers handled the Spartans’ vaunted pressure and attacked it for open transition shots.
“We got past pressure and attacked it,” Brooks said. “We had guys hit some big shots tonight.”
Nick Wondra and Alex Olivas each hit a pair of 3-pointers and Miller, Ray Kuhlman and Bryce Brown hit one apiece.
Most Valuable Player Alex Schremmer scored three points, but expertly handled the Spartans’ fullcourt pressure.
Collegiate 8 9 11 7 – 35
Great Bend 21 9 13 17 – 60
WC—Dick 2-16 3-4 7, Fox 2-2 0- 4, Ashley 0-3 0-0 0, O’Hearn 2-4 0-0 4, Goree 2-5 3-3 7, Ramsey 0-1 3-4 3, Wesley Fair 1-4 0-1 2, Thornton 3-3 0-0 6, Duarte 0-1 2-4 2, Totals 12-39 11-16 35.
GB (8-4)—Duvall 6-10 2-2 20, Wondra 2-6 0-0 6, Brown 1-1 0-0 3, Sam Ryan 1-2 2-2 4, Miller 2-5 2-27, Kuhlman 2-5 2-2 7, Schremmer 1-4 1-33, Dunekack 0-1 2-2 2, Olivas 2-4 0-0 6, Hall 1-1 0-0 2, Koelsch 0-0 0-0 0, Totals 18-39 11-11 60.
3-pointers—WC 0-9 (Dick 0-4, Ashley 0-1, Goree 0-1, Ramsey 0-1, W. Fair 0-2); GB 13-22 (Duvall 6-8, Wondra 2-2, Brown 1-1, Miller 1-1, Kuhlman 1-3, Schremmer 0-2, Dunekack 0-1, Olivas 2-4).
BLUESTEM CLASSIC
SATURDAY—1st—Great Bend 60, Wichita Collegiate 353rd—Newton 75, Wichita Kapaun Mt. Carmel 60; 5th—El Dorado 73, Manhattan Homeschool 68; 7th—Circle 68, Wichita Trinity 57; FRIDAY—Great Bend 60, Kapaun-Mt. Carmel 52; Wichita Collegiate 76, Newton, 62; El Dorado 55, Circle 45, Manhattan Homeschool 69, Wichita Trinity 61; THURSDAY—Kapaun-Mt. Carmel 64, El Dorado 38; Great Bend 61, Circle 40; Newton 98, Manhattan Homeschool 81; Wichita Collegiate 64, Wichita Trinity 38
