GCHS boys batter Pueblo East; girls fall in OT
Garden City, KS (westernkansasnews.com)-After practice on Wednesday, Caleb Tramp said he needed to be more consistent on both ends of the floor. Apparently he listened to his own advice.
The senior notched his fourth career double-double, scoring 15 points and pulling down 10 rebounds as Garden City coasted to a 51-37 victory over No. 7 Pueblo East on day one of the 2014 Southwest Classic at the Garden.
“It wasn’t pretty,” Holloway said of his team’s overall performance. “We moved the ball well at times, but there were other times where I felt we needed to make the extra pass and didn’t.”
For the most part, his players made the right decision, and no play epitomized that more than in the first quarter, when Jesus Reyes found Tramp on the backdoor for a two-handed dunk. The flush, which was setup by a baseline screen, gave Garden City their largest lead of the half 18-10. Tramp hit his first five from the field, and his team followed suit connecting on 7-of-their-first 9 shots.
“Our guys were confident,” Holloway said. “They have great shooters and were always in the game. Our kids knew that.”
Pueblo East (3-2) kept the game close in the first 16 minutes, draining 4-of-8 from downtown-pulling them to within five at the half. But a 13-4 Garden City run in the third quarter put the game out of reach.
Koster finished with 14 points on 3-of-7 from the field. Luis Rodriguez added eight points, seven rebounds and a block.
Luke Padula led the Eagles with 14 points but missed 15 of his 19 shots. As a team, Pueblo East shot just 24 percent on 11-of-46.
Tip Ins: Garden City turned it over a season-low eight times…Garden City is 2-0 lifetime at home against Pueblo East…It’s the third straight year Garden City has started 3-1…Buffaloes have shot over 40 percent in each of the first four games…Garden City outrebounded Pueblo East 32-26 collecting 11 offensive boards
Next up: Garden City vs. No. 7 Wichita Trinity-Friday, December 12 7:30 p.m. on 99.9 FM; kwkrmobile.com and mobile app: KWKR
Girls lose a heartbreaker in overtime
Garden City, KS (westernkansasnews.com)-Last season, Garden City’s rollercoaster ride was filled with missed opportunities. Early on in 2014, those same problems persist.
Jailen Minich torched the Buffaloes for 34 points, 20 of those coming in the second half as No. 10 Pueblo East handed Garden City their third straight loss 65-64 in overtime Thursday night at the Garden.
“We’re not seeing the floor really well,” Lady Buffs Coach David Upton said. “That’s been a problem in the first few games.”
And it was a cause for concern on the opening day of the Southwest Classic; a game that saw Garden City (1-3) turn it over a season-high 23 times.
And things didn’t go well from the start after the Lady Eagles jumped out to a 7-0 lead. But the Buffaloes countered with a 7-2 spurt and eventually pulled to within three at the half.
In the second half, Garden City took the lead 33-30 early in the third only to watch Minich complete a three-point play to even things up. It was one of 10 ties in the game.
Upton knows his team let one slip away, squandering a 52-47 lead late in the final frame. Pueblo East responded with six straight points, including Minich’s triple that gave the Eagles a 53-32 advantage with 1:52 left.
Then, with the game tied at 54 and less than 10 seconds remaining, the Buffaloes forced an Eagle turnover. After a timeout, Garden City had five seconds to try and win the game. But the Buffaloes never got a shot off as Cassie Ashlock turned it over on the wing.
In overtime, Jessica Carillo’s two free throws gave Garden City a 60-57 lead with 1:30 to go. But on the ensuing possession, Kayla Albo drilled a three from the left wing to tie the game. The sophomore scored seven of the last eight Pueblo East points, five of those coming from the line.
On life support trailing 65-62 with less than 10 seconds to play, Carillo buried a jumper from the baseline, cutting the deficit to one. But with no timeouts, Garden City had to foul. But with Upton screaming for one of his girls to do so, they never did, and time ran out.
Carillo notched a career-high with 24 points, 16 of those coming in the second half. Jessica Hinde, who fouled out early in overtime, scored 13 points; Ashlee Richman had 11. Abbie Dart fouled out with just three points on 1-of-10 shooting.
Albo chipped in 15 for Pueblo East. Kassidi Day fouled out with five points and six rebounds. The Lady Eagles connected on 6-of-14 3-pointers. They also shot nine more free throws (28) to Garden City’s (19).
