Zundt’s 15 Points Not Enough for Buffaloes Against Palmer Ridge
Garden City High School boys basketball team hosted Great Bend High School on Friday February 10, 2023 at The Garden in Garden City, Kan. The Buffalos defeated the Panthers 56 - 47. Photo credits; Adam Shrimplin, Shrimplin Photography
Colorado Springs, CO. – It was a game that felt different than the first two. Garden City’s offense was clicking early, sharing the ball beautifully, getting high-percentage shots, getting out in transition.
The only problem was that Palmer Ridge, an experienced roster filled with returning players, clicked that little bit more.
The Garden City Buffaloes dropped their final game at the Cougar Tip-Off Gauntlet, defeated by the Palmer Ridge High School Bears, 61-47. The Bears took home the men’s side of the event with the victory.
“It’s a way different feeling than it was yesterday,” head coach Luke Swedberg said. “I felt like for 75 per cent of the game, we really played with a desperation and effort that I hadn’t really seen yet.”
Garden City (0-3) looked like the better team for the majority of the first half. The Buffaloes got key shots from Daniel Monarrez and Thomas Longa off the bench, helping GCHS swing things in the second quarter.
The Buffaloes outpaced the Bears, 15-9, in the second quarter. Monarrez and Eddy Rodgriguez led the Buffs, each scoring seven points.
“I thought we started moving a whole lot more crisply,” Swedberg said. “I thought we started to handle the basketball better. I thought we started to see more plays.”
GCHS took a 23-20 lead into the half, leading at the break for the second time this tournament. The second half, yet again, would be the Buffs’ undoing.
Palmer Ridge (3-0) dominated down low in the second half. The Bears would use a 13-0 run, with forwards Alex Kraft and Jackson Bolko dominating for 18 second-half points.
Kraft finished with 17 points, second amongst the Bears’ efforts.
“That other 25 per cent, like you mentioned, we just got out-scored too much,” Swedberg said. “This team has been together for a while. Good teams take advantage of you when you have the smallest letdowns.”
Palmer Ridge would out-score Garden City, 19-10, in the third quarter.
Emilio Zundt paced the Buffaloes with 15 points, setting a new season-high. Eight of those points came in the fourth, but unfortunately it was too much to handle.
The Bears would add 18 points in the fourth quarter, including seven from junior guard, Logan Boyer. Boyer led all scorers with 18 points in PRHS’ victory.
“We’re just learning how to put together an entire game,” Swedberg said. “We looked really good in spurts, but we did get out-scored by 17 in the second half.”
The Buffaloes will try and turn their fortunes around on their home court on Thursday. GCHS welcomes the Altus High School Bulldogs to The Garden for their first home game of the season. Coverage can be found on 99.9 ‘The Rock’.
