By Adam Kadavy
February 3
The Great West Activities Conference Dual Wrestling Tournament that was scheduled for this Saturday at Holcomb has been postponed due to the winter weather. It is now rescheduled for Saturday, February 11 at 9 am at Holcomb High School.
By Adam Kadavy
January 30
Making their debut in the Rocky Welton Invitational in its final year in The Garden, the Arkansas City Bulldog wrestling team captured the 54th Annual meet Friday and Saturday. Arkansas City won by 25 points over Newton, and Pine Creek from Colorado Springs finished in third. Rocky Welton was in attendance, which also saw his grandson, Abilene's Kane Kelly, place second at 182 pounds. Garden City was the highest area team in the standings, finishing ninth with 99.5 points, while Dodge City finished 12th, Scott City 13th, Hugoton 15th, Ulysses 17th, Liberal 20th, and Holcomb 27th. Winning the Ed Cramer Most Outstanding Wrestler Award was Geordan Martinez of Pine Creek. He won the 132-pound weight class.
Team Scores
Arkansas City 194.5, Newton 169.5, Pine Creek, CO 160.5, Andale 144, Ponderosa, CO 123, Emporia 122.5, Roosevelt, CO 113, Cleveland, NM 103.5, Garden City 99.5, Bear Creek, CO 98, Hays 95.5, Dodge City 80.5, Scott City 69.5, Cannon City, CO 66, Hugoton 63.5, Abilene 50, Ulysses 49, Great Bend 44, St. James Academy 39.5, Liberal 32, Conifer, CO 31, Sand Creek, CO 28.5, Lewis-Palmer, CO 28, Chaparral 20, LaJunta, CO 17, Maize 15.5, Holcomb 8
Placers
106-1. Logan Terrill, Arkansas City; 2. Trenton Watson, Pine Creek; 3. Jaysen Yakobson, Bear Creek; 4. Dylan Eck, Andale; 5. Reese Cokeley, St. James Academy; 6. Dustin Hayden, Roosevelt
113-1. Paul Mascarenas, Clevelend; 2. Tyler Mies, Andale; 3. Alex Garcia, Dodge City; 4. Tevin Briscoe, Garden City; 5. Jason Perez, Ulysses; 6. Chris Cos, Pine Creek
120-1. P.T. Garcia, Bear Creek; 2. Mac Borrego, Cleveland; 3. Chris Burley, Great Bend; 4. Anthony Calderon, Garden City; 5. Quinton Harrison, Newton; 6. Zac Hensley, St. James
126-1. Colby Waters Arkansas City; 2. Dane Edwards; Dodge City; 3. Will Martinez, Ponderosa; 4. Skyler Carlson, Emporia; 5. Derek Stiles, Hays; 6. Andrew Wallace, Pine Creek
132-1. Geordan Martinez, Pine Creek; 2. Cody Eastman, Arkansas City; 3. Clay Mulligan, Scott City; 4. Anthony Monares, Newton; 5. Bryce Dakin, Emporia; 6. Aaron Engles, Andale
138-1. Brandon Charbonneau, Emporia; 2. Jace Lopez, Roosevelt; 3. Wyatt Villers, Arkansas City; 4. Tyson Phillis, Garden City; 5. Josh Del Rio, LaJunta; 6. Brodie Bretz, Great Bend
145-1. Miles Johns, Newton; 2. John Lewis, Ponderosa; 3. Lawson Fiss, Hugoton; 4. Derrik Ortiz, Pine Creek; 5. Mason Marick, Roosevelt; 6. Ayodale Briamah, Liberal
152-1. Tyler McMichael, Arkansas City; 2. Kyle Armstrong, Andale; 3. Patrick Weaver, Andale; 4. Razzy Morales, Ulysses; 5. Cody McMullen, Ponderosa; 6. Spencer Urban, Roosevelt
160-1. Colton Duhr, Andale; 2. Trey Dice, Arkansas City; 3. Noel Torres, Emporia; 4. Jon Heiman, Garden City; 5. Alex Markowski, Pine Creek; 6. Jacob Eggers, Dodge City
170-1. Levi Eck, Andale; 2. Preston Weigel, Hays; 3. Thad Gallegos, Ponderosa; 4. Trent Salsbury, St. James Academy; 5. Juan Sanchez, Roosevelt; 6. Jared Langley, Newton
182-1. Miguel Montelongo, Canon City; 2. Kane Kelly, Abilene; 3. Michael Napier, Cleveland; 4. Hugh McConnell, Newton; 5. Armando Sandoval, Ulysses; 6. Corry Williams, Ponderosa
195-1. Dillon Archer, Newton; 2. Bradon Tribble, Pine Creek; 3. Connor Crane, Ponderosa; 4. Rakan Ashi, Emporia; 5. Chandler Rule, Hays; 6. Corky Phillips, Bear Creek
220-1. Cash Drylie, Hays, 2. Colten Lissolo, Hugoton; 3. Hammer Morton, Bear Creek; 4. Raymond Gallegos, Newton; 5. Garrett Bennell, Cannon City; 6. Alex Davis, Roosevelt
285-1. Luke Hayes, Scott City; 2. Clay Wilcox, Chaparral; 3. Don Fuller, Conifer; 4. Garrett Lee, Newton; 5. Chuck Busch, Canon City; 6. Tuli Laulu, Sand Creek
By Jerry Jones
January 28
Senior leadership, heart hustle and intensity by the whole team earned the Garden City Lady Buffaloes a convincing win over the Rose Hill Lady Rockets 49-36 on Friday afternoon on day two of the 36th Annual Newton Invitational Basketball Tournament on the consolation side of the bracket. The win propels Garden City into the 5th place game on Saturday at 1:30 pm to face Bishop Miege after the Lady Stags beat Dodge City 59-45 in the other consolation game. The Lady Buffs had a shaky start to the game as the Lady Rockets jumped out to an 8-2 lead, but battled back on a pair of 3's by senior Kristen Heiman, free throws by junior Johna McClelland and sophomore Taryn Tempel to tie the score at 9-9 and then a basket by Rose Hill put the Lady Rockets on top 11-9 at the end of the 1st period. In the 2nd stanza it 
was all Lady Buffaloes as Heiman connected on another three, a deuce and a couple of free throws, along with six points from sophomore Taryn Tempel and four more from the team to take the lead at intermission 26-19. The third quarter started out sluggish again, but Rose Hill only had one player contributing with junior Jessica Rushing getting a conventional three point play and a couple free throws for the only five points they received in the third period. Late in the quarter Garden City would get back on track scoring 12 points coming from Heiman, McClelland, Tempel and freshman Jayme Bernbeck to take control of the game with a 38-24 lead heading into the 4th period. In the final stanza the Lady Buffs would get two 3's from sophomore Alex Miller plus solid defense for most of the period to collect the victory at 49-36 giving the Lady Buffs their 8th win on the season to stand at 8-5 and will now play a tough talented Bishop Miege team for 5th place in the Newton Mid-Season Tournament. Because of the Rocky Welton Wrestling Tournament and KU Basketball on KWKR, the Saturday 5th place game will move to AM 1030 KBUF for the 1:00 pm pre-game show and 1:30 start. Catch all the action with your voices of the Buffs Jerry Jones, Ross Miller and Donette Brown with the live Video Webcast at www.westernkansasnews.com. For the rest of the Tournament action, Dodge City vs Rose Hill for 7th, Kapaun Mount Carmel and Andover Central for 3rd. The Championship game has the #1 seed and ranked #5 in the State Olathe Northwest battling the host team Newton for the title.
By Jerry Jones
January 27
It was the tale of two halves for the Garden City Lady Buffaloes in their opening round loss 56-34 to the Andover Central Lady Jaguars on Thursday afternoon, at the 36th Annual Newton High School Invitational Basketball Tournament. Facing the #10 ranked 5A Lady Jaguars for the very first time, Garden City got off to a great start by jumping out to a 10 point lead at the end of the first quarter 17-7 behind the scoring of sophomore Taryn Tempel along with juniors Johna McClelland and Abby Campbell, as they provided 14 of the 17 points. The Lady Buffs shot 70 percent as a team from the field with a number of shots going down inside the lane and on the blocks. The Lady Jags missed a lot of their outside shots in the first half and from beyond the ark, as they are a very good 3 point shooting team hitting 35 percent on the year. Andover Central was more aggressive and physical in the 2nd quarter getting Garden City to commit several fouls and the lady Jags hit 6 of 10 free throws to score 12 points in the second period. The Lady Buffs would continue to get production from their line-up that saw 10 players get in the game playing with an up tempo style and driving inside the lane to get 8 points in the 2nd quarter and lead 25-19 at the break. The second half was a totally different story for the Lady Buffs scoring only 8 points over the final 16 minutes of the game, playing tentative and rushed, while Andover Central saw their top player senior Cami Gee erupt for 10 3rd quarter points connecting on two three's a deuce and a couple of free throws, plus additional points her teammates to take a 35-30 lead into the final stanza, blowing Garden City away on a 19 to 5 run in the third. The Lady Buffs were bothered by the Jags pressure and strong physical type of play turning the ball over 16 times in the second half and 24 for the game. Andover Central took advantage of the Buffalo miscues scoring 18 more points in the 4th period, giving them a 37 to 9 run in the second half sending the Lady Jags to their 7th win on the season and providing a Jaguar blowout 56-34 over Garden City. The loss dropped the Lady Buffs to 7-5 and into the consolation side of the bracket to play Rose Hill on Friday, after the Lady Rockets lost to Olathe Northwest 64-44. Game time on Friday is three o'clock, you can get all the action with Jerry Jones, Ross Miller and Donette Brown starting with the 2:40 pre-game show on your voice of the Buffs 99.9 KWKR and the live Video Webcast at www.westernkansasnews.com. The rest of the first round scores from the Newton Invitational Tournament had Kapaun Mount Carmel beating Bishop Miege 60-53 and Newton over Dodge City 30-28. Along with the Garden City vs Rose Hill game, the other match-up on the consolation side has Dodge City facing Bishop Miege and for the Championship semi-finals its Andover Central and Olathe Northwest and on the bottom side of the bracket its Kapaun Mount Carmel facing Newton.
By Jerry Jones
January 21
A lack of focus, lack of intensity and a lack of scoring led the Garden City High School Buffaloes to their third loss in a row and their 2nd defeat in the 29th Annual January Jam at Valley Center High School on Friday with a 50-37 loss to the Topeka Seaman Vikings on the consolation side of the bracket, as the Buffs had fallen to Kansas City Turner on the opening day 55-45. With no one in double figures and committing 10 turnovers in the first half, Garden City found themselves down by 12 at the break 29-17. The Vikings received 10 first half points from their inside player senior Mason Miller in the first 16 minutes of the game and the team shot the ball well enough over the first two periods to gain that 12 point advantage at intermission. After a halftime visit with Coach Jacy Holloway, the Buffaloes came out and put together a great 3rd period out scoring the Vikings 14 to 6 and pulled within 4 at the end of the third at 35-31. Senior Braden Taylor began to assert himself in the third with 5 points and couple of rebounds, junior Bo Banner added three and junior Austin Terpstra took control of the boards and added four points in the Buffaloes effort to get back in the game. However, the 4th quarter would not yield the same results and the Buffalo rally was short lived, as the Vikings re-asserted themselves with five players scoring, led by their 6' 5" senior post player Adam Heald who chipped in 8 of his 10 points in the 4th quarter and collected five rebounds to send the Buffaloes reeling again. Garden City could not find a way to respond and gave up lots of points in the paint and around the basket, as the Vikings went on a 15-6 run in the 4th period to collect their 2nd win of the season at 50-37. Garden City had three players near double figures, as Curran, Taylor and Banner all had 9 each, Terpstra added six and sophomore Emillo Parr finished with four. The loss sends the Buffaloes to 4-7 overall and into the 7th place game for the January Jam to play the host team, the Valley Center Hornets. Be sure to catch the 1:45 pre-game show and tip-off at 2:00 o'clock, on your voice of the Buffs 99.9 KWKR and the live Video Webcast at www.westernkansasnews.com, with Jerry Jones, Ross Miller and Donette Brown.
GARDEN CITY BASKETBALL TONIGHT AT DERBY WITH GIRLS PRE-GAME SHOW @ 5:30, TIP-OFF AT 6:00 AND BOYS TO FOLLOW ON 99.9 KWKR AND THE LIVE VIDEO WEBCAST ON westernkansasnews.com
GARDEN CITY CC BASKETBALL AT HOME VS BULTER. PRE-GAME COVERAGE BEGINS AT 5:45, TIP-OFF AT 6 FOR THE WOMEN, AND THE MEN TO FOLLOW ON AM 1030 KBUF AND ONLINE. NO VIDEO WEBCAST PROVIDED TONIGHT.
By Adam Kadavy
February 3
In a battle of two state ranked teams Thursday night in Scott City, it was the top team in 321A Scott City defeating the eighth ranked team in 6A Dodge City in a tight dual 39-31. It was a dual that saw the team score flip flop four times, before the Beavers prevailed.
106: Bryce Fairleigh, SC won by fall over Jaden McRoberts, DC 3:57
113: Alex Garcia, DC maj dec James Jurgens, SC 14-1
120: Alex Kough, SC dec Jaquan Graves, DC 10-4
126: Dane Edwards, DC won by fall over Jesse Anchondo, SC 2:39
132: Clay Mulligan, SC won by fall over Victor Ortiz, DC 3:43
138: Devin Eggleston, SC won by fall over Jesus Triana 4:44
145: Zach Cook, DC won by fall over Alex Leonard, DC 4:44
152: Jhett Ostrom, DC dec Ty McCulloch, SC 9-7
160: Jacob Eggers, DC won by fall over Zach Lightner, SC :50
170: Manuel Turner, SC won by fall over Corey Keller, DC 3:07
182: Bryce Johnson, SC dec Connor Kinkelear, DC 2-1
195: Freddy Hernandez, DC won by fall over Lane Hayes, SC :28
220: Michael McEachern, SC dec Francisco Serna, DC 3-1 OT
285: Luke Hayes, SC won by fall over Tommy Andrews, DC 1:39
By Adam Kadavy
February 1
In a return to GWAC play Tuesday night, the Scott City Beavers and Colby Eagles split a doubleheader at the Colby Community Building, with two games that were lopsided. The Lady Eagles took the first game 54-9, while the Beaver boys won 74-28.
After scoring a season-high 57 points the previous game, Scott City would score a season low. Colby scored the first 16 points of the game, and ended up with a 20-2 lead after the first quarter. The Lady Beavers were unable to get any shots or free throws in the second or third quarters, despite getting good looks. It would end up being a 19:26 scoring drought for Scott City. In between points for the Lady Beavers, the Lady Eagles would score 30 straight points. Colby would lead 31-2 at halftime and 46-2 after three quarters. With continuous clock in the final period due to the 30-point margin rule, Scott City would score seven points. Bailey Nickel scored three points, all on free throws, to lead the Lady Beavers, while Colby was led by Kenzie Curry's 17 points, as she connected on four three-point shots. Scott City drops to 5-9 overall, 3-3 in GWAC play, while Colby improves to 10-4 overall and 6-0 in the league.
The boys game would prove to be another lopsided game, this time in favor of Scott City. It would be another businessman-like approach for the Beavers, as they raced out to a 22-3 lead after one quarter. In the first half alone, they would have runs of 14-0, 10-0 and 6-0, and took a 46-8 lead into recess. Scott City would put the game on cruise control for the third and fourth quarters, taking a 63-25 lead after three and forcing continuous clock in the final quarter, en route to a 74-28 win. The 28 points that Colby scored was the least amount scored on Scott City this year, eclipsing the 35 points Hugoton scored on the Beavers January 3. Three players hit double figures for Scott City, led by Drew Kite's 17 points, while Brett O'Neil and Trey O'Neil added 11 apiece. The 11 points Trey scored would be a career high for the freshman. Also hitting career high's on the varsity level were Jeremy Clinton with eight points and Colton Yager with five. Scott City has now won 10 straight to improve to 13-1 overall, 6-0 in league play, while Colby dropped the seventh straight game, and fell to 1-13 overall, 1-5 in the GWAC.
Up next for Scott City will be a road trip to TMP-Marian in Hays on Friday night, while Colby will host Hugoton in a league battle.
By Adam Kadavy
As of February 1
Class 6A
Team
1. Garden City, 8. Dodge City
113-1. Alex Garcia, Dodge City; 2. Tevin Briscoe, Garden City
120-1. Anthony Calderon, Garden City
126-2. Dane Edwards, Dodge City; 4. Trevor Kennedy, Garden City
132-1. A.J. Hurtado, Garden City
138-4. Tyson Phillis, Garden City
145-4. Chris Adler, Garden City
160-2. Jon Heiman, Garden City; 3. Jacob Eggers, Dodge CityClass 5A
138-6. Cody Wilson, Liberal
152-4. Trenton Wilson, Liberal
Class 4A
113-3. Jason Perez, Ulysses145-4. Lawson Fiss, Hugoton
152-5T. Razzy Morales, Ulysses; 5T. Patrick Weaver, Hugoton
170-4. Ty Haller, Hugoton
182-4. Armondo Sandoval, Ulysses
220-4. Colton Lissolo, Hugoton
Class 3-2-1A
Teams
1. Scott City
113-2. James Jurgens, Scott City
120-1. Alex Kough, Scott City
132-3. Clay Mulligan, Scott City
285-2. Luke Hayes, Scott City
By Adam Kadavy
As of January 31
Boys
1. Scott City
Girls
3. Southwestern Heights, 4. Cimarron
Class 2A
Boys
1. Meade
Class 1A Division IBoys
1. Ashland, 6. South Gray, 9. South Central
Girls
5. Spearville, 6. South Central, 7. Deerfield
Class 1A Division II
Boys
1. Tribune, 4. Healy, 8. Fowler, 10. Moscow
Girls
1. Ingalls, 8. Tribune
By Adam Kadavy
January 30
It was a sweep for the Scott City Beavers basketball teams Friday night at Scott Community High School against Lakin, as the Lady Beavers prevailed 57-45, while the boys took care of the Broncs 75-40.
Our first game of the night saw three ties and two lead changes, all coming in the first quarter. Scott City led 10-6 after the first quarter, and would grow their lead to 12-6 early in the second frame, before Lakin would cut it to 12-11 with 7:06 before hafltime. The Lady Beavers would try to pull away on many occasions, but the Lady Broncs kept fighting back each time. Scott City took a 26-21 lead at recess, as their biggest lead would be at seven late in the first half. In the second half, the closest Lakin got would be at three points with 2:24 left in the third quarter at 34-31. The Lady Beavers would score six straight in a three-minute stretch, and would also build their lead to 13 at 51-38 with 3:14 remaining. Both teams would trade baskets and free throws down the stretch, as the Scott City would snap a four-game losing streak. Two Lady Beavers would score career highs, as Janessa Lowenthal led all scorers with 19 points, and Bailey Nickel added 16. The Lady Broncs were led by Mariah Hill's 16 points. Scott City improved to 5-8, while Lakin dropped to 5-9.
In the finale of the night, Scott City would lead from start to finish, despite Lakin keeping it close early on. The Broncs would be as close as five halfway through the first frame, before a 12-0 run by Scott City would open the game up to 22-5 with late in the first quarter. Between the 15-second mark of the first quarter to the 3:22 mark before halftime, the Broncs went on a 10-2 run to make it 24-15. Scott City would then close out the first half on a 14-4 run to take a 38-19 lead into the locker room. In the second half, Scott City would eventually see their lead grow to 30 with 31-seconds left in the third stanza at 61-31. Going into the fourth quarter, the Beavers would lead 62-33. In the final quarter, Lakin warmed up and scored nine straight, before Scott City scored eight consecutive points. The final would be 70-45. For the second straight game, the Beaver defense would hold their opponents leading scorer well below their season average. Bryant Miller ended up scoring eight points, about 10 points of his season average, as he scored seven of those in the final quarter. It would be another career high night for Drew Kite in the scoring department. For the second straight game, he would eclipse his career high, as he finished with 28 points, while Brett O'Neil added 14 for the Beavers. Lakin was led by Cody Kinnier's 16 and Reno Armstrong's 10. With the win, Scott City improved their record to 12-1, while the Broncs dropped to 4-10.
Scott City will resume their league schedule on Tuesday with a trip to Colby for a doubleheader, while Lakin will continue their three-game road swing with a trip to Satanta.
By Adam Kadavy
January 27
Wrestling in their second dual in as many days, the Cleveland High Storm from Rio Rancho, New Mexico didn't show the rust from an eight-hour bus ride to Garden City Thursday night in The Garden, as they outlasted the Buffaloes 35-17. The Thursday night dual kicked off the festivities of the annual Rocky Welton Invitational.
106: Treavon Nicoley, Cl dec Efrain Sanhez, GC 9-5
113: Paul Mascarenas, Cl maj dec Tevin Briscoe, GC 13-3
120: Mac Borrego, CL dec Anthony Calderon, GC 7-2
126: Julian Roybal, Cl won by fall over Jonathan Guerrero, GC 4:35
132: A.J. Hurtado, GC maj dec Peter Nieto, Cl 21-7
138: Tyson Phillis, GC dec Aaron Lermaseox, Cl 8-2
145: Chris Adler, GC maj dec Angel Castillo, Cl 14-2
152: Arturo Vigil, Cl won by fall over Brett Cady, GC 1:26
160: Brian Yarbrough, Cl won by dec Diego Esquivel, GC 6-4 OT
170: Jacob King, Cl dec Anthony Gardner, GC 8-3
182: Michael Napier, Cl maj dec Juan Carlos Rodriguez, GC 15-2
195: Jeff Simon, Cl dec Sam Reyes, GC 5-4 3 OT
220: Both teams open
285: Jason Carreon, GC won by fall over Matthew Romero 5:35
By Adam Kadavy
January 24
Coming into Monday's doubleheader, both Scott City and Wichita Word of Life would be playing their fourth game in five days. It was also a rematch of two teams that faced off December 17 at Valley Center Middle School, where the Fire swept Scott City.
The first game of the late afternoon proved to be much tighter. Word of Life dismantled Scott City 64-18 in the first meeting. The Lady Fire did jump out to an 18-8 lead late in the first quarter, only to see the Lady Beavers pull to within six at the end of one. Scott City score the first basket to cut Word of Life's lead to four, but five consecutive points gave the Lady Fire a 23-14 with 3:34 to go before halftime. That's when the Lady Beavers would take advantage of some foul trouble on Word of Life, and a fatigued team, and scored nine in a row to tie the game at 23 going into halftime. In the second half, it was a half that the Lady Fire led throughout, leading by as many as 12 on four occasions, before Scott City fought back and cut it to as close as eight points in the end 49-41. Janessa Lowenthal led all scorers with 17 points, one shy of her career-high. Angela Onyema led Word of Life with 13 points. The Lady Beavers dropped to 4-8, while the Lady Fire improved to 11-4.
In the doubleheader finale, Scott City and Word of Life would live up to the hype of a great game. The Fire defeated the Beavers 60-49, which would be Scott City's lone blemish on their record. Seven lead changes and four ties would take place in the game. Through three quarters, no team led by more than six points. The Fire would lead 12-9 after eight minutes of play. That lead would grow to 17-11 at the 6:23 mark before halftime. Scott City would score the next nine points to take a 20-17 lead with 2:51 before recess, only to see Word of Life score seven of the final 10 points of the game to take a 24-23 lead before halftime. The Beavers would keep within striking distance in the third quarter, but were unable to take the lead. They would eventually tie it on a Brett O'Neil layup with eight seconds to go in the third quarter to send the game into a 34 all tie going into the final quarter. That O'Neil layup would spark Scott City the rest of the way, as they ended up going on a 17-0 run. In the process, Word of Life was held scoreless for a seven-plus minute stretch of the game. After Scott City led 49-34 with 1:53 remaining, the closest the Fire could get was at nine points on a pair of occasions, and Scott City would end up with a 56-45 win to avenge their lone loss of the season. Leading the charge was Drew Kite for Scott City, as he finished with a career-high 23 points, while Brett O'Neil added 15. Wichita Word of Life was led by Jagos Matijasevic and Logan Botica with nine apiece. The Fire's leading scorer, Mindaugas Kacinas, came in averaging 25 points and 13 rebound, finished with only seven points. Scott City improved to 11-1 while the Fire dropped to 19-4.
Scott City will remain at home for a Friday night doubleheader with the Lakin Broncs.
By Adam Kadavy
January 21
For the second time in as many weeks, the Scott City Beavers and the Liberal Redskins would meet up. This time, it was in the 27th Annual Paul Wintz/Tom Bowen Orange & Black Classic in Colby. One game would be lopsided, while the other game would be filled with drama in the final seconds.
The Scott City and Liberal boys traded leads in the opening quarter. There were four lead changes and three ties, as Scott City would close out the end of the first period with eight unanswered to take an 18-14 lead after one. That run would extend to 11 straight, before the Redskins would cut it to 3 with 7:01 before the break at 23-20. Not only would that be the closest Liberal would get for the rest of the game, it would also begin a long drought for them. During an 11-plus minute drought, the Beavers would roll off 23 consecutive points from the 6:29 mark of the second quarter to the 4:06 point of the third frame. In the third quarter alone, Scott City outscored Liberal 24-8 to take a 60-28 lead into the final stanza. With continuous clock in the final quarter, the Beavers were able to get their reserves into the game. Just like their previous game, Liberal would bank in a three pointer at the end of the game to give Scott City a 66-38 victory. With the win, the Beavers improve to 9-1 at the halfway point of the season, while Liberal dropped to 3-8. Three players scored in double figures for Scott city, led by Drew Kite with 18 points, while Brett O'Neil and Joey Meyer added 14 and 10 respectively. DeVondre Livingston led the Redskins with 13 points.
In the high school gym in Colby, drama filled the air at the end of the game. The game saw a pretty even matchup, as the Lady Beavers and Lady Redskins saw seven ties and six lead changes. After the first quarter, the score would be tied at 10. Both teams jockeyed for the lead in the second quarter alone. Scott City would take a 6-0 run, then Liberal would score five straight to take a 21-20 lead with 1:14 before halftime. It would be the Lady Beavers pouring in the final five points of the half to take a 25-21 lead into the locker room. For awhile in the second half, Scott City was unable to get their lead above four points, and Liberal was unable to trail by less than two. When the Lady Beavers took a six-point lead at 33-27 with 2:26 to go in the third quarter, the Lady Redskins would respond with an 8-0 run to end the quarter and take a two-point lead going into the final frame. Their run would end up being 12-0 with 5:41 left at 39-33. Liberal's lead would grow to 10 on a pair of occasions, including at 49-39 with 1:17 left. That's when the Lady Beavers would make a comeback. Scott City would score six straight in a nine-second stretch to tie the game at 52 with 3.7 seconds left. Janessa Lowenthal scored the first five points, Shanaya Hoeme hit a three-pointer and Bailey Nickel hit a pair of free throws to tie it up. Thinking they had one timeout left, Scott City called for time. Unfortunately for the Lady Beavers, they were out, resulting in a technical foul. Jai Chapman would hit one of two technical free throws for the one-point margin, and the final would be 53-52. Scott City dropped to 4-6 on the season, and were led by Hoeme's career high 13 points, while Lowenthal and Bailey Nickel's 12 points apiece. Liberal snapped a nine-game losing streak to improve to 1-9, and were led by Lyric Robinson's career high 20 points.
Scott City's boys and girls will both face McCook Saturday. The boys will play for their first title since 2006 at 8:15 at the Community Building, while the girls will play in the high school for seventh at 12 noon.
99.9 KWKR is the "Sports Voice of the Buffaloes" with Jerry Jones and Ross Miller.
GCHS Basketball comes your way again this year on your 100,000 watt power house Radio Station 99.9 KWKR, with the addition of Video webcasting on www.westernkansasnews.com
THE GARDEN CITY BUFFALO BASKETBALL TEAMS WILL BE ON THE ROAD FRIDAY AND SATURAY AT WINFIELD AND DERBY. CATCH THE GAMES ON BOTH NIGHTS STARTING WITH THE GIRLS 5:30 PRE-GAME SHOW ON 99.9 KWKR AND THE LIVE VIDEO WEBCAST AT www.westernkansasnews.com.
THE GCCC BUSTER BASKETBALL TEAMS WILL RETURN TO PERRYMAN ATHLETIC COMPLEX ON SATURDAY NIGHT TO FACE BUTLER COMMUNITY COLLEGE STARTING THE 2ND ROUND OF JAYHAWK WEST CONFERENCE PLAY. JOIN US FOR THE WOMEN'S 5:15 PRE-GAME SHOW AND THE MEN TO FOLLOW ON YOUR VOICE OF THE BUSTERS AM 1030 KBUF. NO VIDEO COVERAGE FOR THIS GAME, BUT LIVE AUDIO ON www.westernkansasnews.com.
Courtesy of WNBA.com
February 2
ATLANTA – Atlanta Dream guard Shalee Lehning has announced her retirement from the WNBA due to complications from an ACL injury that ended her 2011 season.
“Shalee has been an important part of our franchise for the last three seasons,” said Dream Head Coach and General Manager Marynell Meadors. “She brought tremendous work ethic and leadership to our team that will be hard to replace. We wish Shalee the best of luck and I know she has a bright future in the game as a coach.”
Lehning, a 5-9 guard, played three seasons in the WNBA and helped the Dream to three consecutive playoff appearances. She was originally drafted by the Dream in the second round of the 2009 WNBA Draft with the No. 25 overall pick.
As a rookie, Lehning started 20 of 34 games and finished in the top ten in the league in assists. The following season, she started 33 games and averaged a career-best 4.8 assists per game. Lehning appeared in 18 games for the Dream in 2011 before suffering a season-ending ACL injury in a game against the Connecticut Sun on July 31. In her WNBA career, Lehning averaged 3.1 points, 2.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.
Lehning is in her third season as an assistant coach for Kansas State University, following an All-American career with the Wildcats. Lehning was the fifth player in school history to have her jersey retired and finished her career as the school’s all-time leader in assists.
“This was a difficult decision for me but I am excited to focus on coaching, where I can continue to have an impact on the game and the next generation of players,” said Lehning. “I want to thank the Atlanta Dream for an amazing three years. It truly was an experience of a lifetime.”
Courtesy of K-State Sports Information
January 26
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) - Martavious Irving scored 16 points and Rodney McGruder had 13 to lead No. 22 Kansas State over Texas Tech 69-47 on Wednesday night, keeping the Red Raiders winless in Big 12 play.
The Wildcats trailed briefly early but pulled away when they started hitting shots. They muscled their way into the lane and outscored Texas Tech 36-20 in the paint.
Kansas State (15-4, 4-3 Big 12) pressed on defense, making it difficult for Texas Tech to find passing lanes. That led to a season-high 25 turnovers for the Red Raiders - 12 were Kansas State steals - which the Wildcats converted into 27 points. Texas Tech was averaging 17 turnovers coming into the game.
The Wildcats had 17 turnovers, leading to seven points for the Red Raiders.
Freshman Jordan Tolbert scored 18 points to lead Texas Tech (7-12, 0-7).
By Adam Kadavy
January 20
It was a split for the Scott City Basketball teams Thursday in the opening round of the 27th Paul Wintz/Tom Bowen Orange & Black Classic in Colby against Palmer Ridge, CO. Scott City's boys started off their tournament run with a 59-41 win, while the girls fell to the Lady Bears 52-41.
It was a sluggish start for the Beaver boys basketball team against the Palmer Ridge Bears from Monument, CO, a suburb of Colorado Springs. The Bears started out leading Scott City 8-4, before the Beavers put together a 12-0 run between the 3:59 mark of the first quarter to the 5:08 mark before halftime, and never surrendered the lead the rest of the way. After that run, Palmer Ridge broke a 9:03 drought to cut their deficit to one with 1:56 before halftime at 16-15. Scott City would take a five-point lead into recess at 22-17. The Beavers got their first double digit lead with 3:41 to go in the third frame at 33-22, while going on a 10-4 run in the process to take a 39-26 lead going into the final quarter. Scott City's biggest lead would come late in the game at 20 points on a pair of occasions, as they advance to the semi-final round against Liberal. Drew Kite led the scoring charge with 17 points, while Brett O'Neil chipped in 14 and Joey Meyer added 12, as the Beavers improved to 8-1. Palmer Ridge dropped to 4-8 on the season, as they were led by Ian Miller's 10 points.
In the last game of the night, the Palmer Ridge girls jumped out to a 12-0 lead in the first half of the opening quarter, connecting on their first five shots. Down 17-9 after the opening quarter, the Lady Beavers fought back to cut the Lady Bears deficit to four on a pair of occasions. Five unanswered points would give Palmer Ridge a 28-19 lead at intermission. Scott City was able to cut the Bear lead to six early in the second half, but a five-plus minute drought would hurt the Lady Beavers, even though Palmer Ridge would only score six points during that span, and the Lady Bears would take a nine-point lead going into the final quarter. That's when Palmer Ridge would close the door on the game. The Lady Bears start out the final frame with a 13-3 run to extend their lead to 48-29. Scott City would score 11 straight late in the game to cut the score to 48-40, but they would run out of steam and fall to 4-5 on the year. Audrey Baker came into the game with five three-point makes this year. She ended up with four three's and a career-high 16 points to lead Scott City. Amber turner led the now 12-0 Palmer Ridge Lady Bears with 18 points.
Scott City will face Liberal for the second time in as many weeks Friday. The boys square off in the championship semi-finals at 4:45 in the Community Building, while the girls play in the high school at 6:30.
By K-State Sports Information
January 19
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Rodney McGruder continued his stretch of strong play as he scored a career high 33 points to push Kansas State passed Texas 84-80. This is the second time in three games McGruder has 30 or more points.The opening 10 minutes of the first half saw the Wildcats(13-4, 2-3) race out to a quick 29-18 lead over the Longhorns (12-6, 2-3), with McGruder connecting on two consecutive 3-pointers followed by a Will Spradling shot from behind the arc. McGruder started the game hot as the junior made his first five shots and scored 13 points with 9:38 left in the opening half.
Leading by as many as 15 points, the Wildcats allowed Texas to go on a 19-2 run and claim its first lead of the night at 40-38. A McGruder 3-pointer and a Victor Ojeleye tip-in saw the Wildcats hold a slim 43-42 halftime lead.
In the second half, the Longhorns kept the game close never allowing the Wildcats to go up by more than seven points. Poor free-throw shooting (21-of-39) by K-State gave Texas a chance in the waning minutes of the game, but a steal by Martavious Irving followed by a monstrous dunk from McGruder sealed the victory for K-State.
Three other Wildcats joined McGruder in double digit scoring as Jamar Samuels scored 14, Thomas Gipson added 11 points with nine coming in the second half and Spradling scoring 11. J’Covan Brown led the Longhorns with 22 points with Sheldon McClellan adding 19.