Shorthanded Demons Fall to Hays as Losing Streak Extends to Six Games

HAYS, Kan. – Indians guard Jack Weimer dropped 13 points and added five assists and five rebounds to lead his team to a 43-25 win over Dodge City on senior night.

Hays (13-6, 7-0) entered the game winners of four straight and eight of their last nine with their only loss during that stretch being against 4A powerhouse McPherson. Dodge, on the other hand, has hit the skids in recent weeks, having lost five in a row going into Tuesday’s matchup. It was the second meeting of the year between the Indians and the Demons, with Hays comfortably winning at The Fieldhouse 49-32.

Dodge was very thin coming into the game with Jaiden Springer, Bryson Unzueta and Ty Sheck all unavailable for the game. Unsurprisingly, those absences really hurt the Demons on the offensive side of the court and they struggled to get going early in the game, falling into a 14-6 hole after the opening quarter. 

The Demons relied heavily on their defense to keep them in the game and they stepped up in the second quarter allowing just seven points in the frame. Their offense remained cold though, and they scored just four points of their own leading to a double digit halftime deficit. 

Not much improved in the second half for Dodge as they failed to score double digit points in the third and fourth quarters while Hays did enough to remain comfortably in front for the final 16 minutes of the contest.

The 43-25 loss was Dodge’s sixth reversal in a row. Leading scorer Tochi Okoro did what he could to keep his team in the game, scoring 11 points while adding nine rebounds but nobody else scored more than four points for Dodge City. 

The Demons did get an opportunity to play a few of their younger players with three contributors out which was one of the positives to come out of the game for Dodge. Elliott Williams got his first minutes on varsity and Julian Loredo Quinonez and Johnathan Bone saw increased roles as well.

Hays clinched the WAC with win, as they celebrated their fourth title in the last five seasons. They also got an opportunity to get each of their seniors a round of applause as they were subbed off in the fourth quarter after the game was already out of hand. Weimer, Edwin Muller and Kyzer Fox were all honored before the game as well for their contributions to Hays basketball over their four years.

Dodge City has one more game to play as they take on Liberal at the Fieldhouse on Thursday. It will be the Demons’ final regular season game before the sub-state playoffs begin. Hays also has one last game to play which will still be very important as they take on Great Bend with the winner earning a higher seed in the 5A standings.

The Demons will celebrate senior night on Thursday, as they honor Okoro, Claudio Diaz and Grayden Gamblin. The Dodge City-Liberal matchup will be broadcast live on Z98 and will begin at 6 p.m. with pregame coverage starting at 5:40.