Zundt’s Season-High Not Enough for Buffaloes at Great Bend
Garden City High School boys basketball team hosted Great Bend High School on Friday, January 5, 2024 at The Garden in Garden City, Kan. The Buffaloes defeated the Panthers 57 - 56. Photo Credits; Adam Shrimplin, Shrimplin Photography
GREAT BEND, Kan. – Basketball is becoming a tougher challenge on the road with each passing day. Winning percentages of road teams are down at all levels of college basketball.
This season of high school basketball isn’t proving anything different. It’s becoming increasingly harder to take home road results, and things haven’t clicked for Garden City all season long.
The Garden City Buffaloes were dealt their first loss in February, handled by the Great Bend Panthers, 77-52. The Buffaloes are now 0-6 in true road games this season.
Senior Emilio Zundt got off to a hot start, countering GBHS’ 10-2 start. Zundt scored 12 of Garden City’s 20 first-quarter points, connecting on two three-pointers.
Zundt led all scorers with 16 first half points.
Garden City’s (7-9, 2-3 WAC) recent recipe for success has been their ball movement, but it was Great Bend who flashed their prowess in the first half. Six different Panthers scored in the first quarter, seven in the first half.
Cooper Ohnmacht and Daxton Minton were key spark plugs for Great Bend (12-5, 3-2 WAC) early, scoring 11 points off the bench.
The Panthers blitzed the Buffaloes to open the second half, leaving GCHS in the dust. Ian Premer scored 11 of his team’s 27 points, extending the lead to 27.
Premer threw down his third dunk of the night, igniting the crowd of Panthers fans into a frenzy.
The Panthers scored 27 in the third quarter, turning the game into a running clock for the final eight minutes. Six different Panthers finished with at least seven points, Premer’s 22 topped the bunch.
Zundt hit two more triples in the second half, bringing his total to 22. THe senior set a season-high in the victory just three off his career-high.
The Buffaloes return to The Garden to face the Hooker (Ok.) Bulldogs tomorrow. Coverage on 99.9 ‘The Rock’ will begin immediately following girl’s basketball’s 5:00 P.M. tipoff.
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