Hugoton girls win in rout, Scott City boys win overtime thriller

Hugoton, Kan. (westernkansasnews.com)–With the regular season winding down, Scott City and Hugoton battled for the second and final time of the season Friday night in hopes to gain more momentum into the final week of the regular season. After the night was over, the Beavers and Eagles would split the doubleheader, as the Hugoton won in convincing fashion 78-32, while the Scott City boys rallied for a 61-60 overtime win.

Girls
Scott City led briefly, and after that, it was all Hugoton. The Eagles used runs of eight, 15, 20-2, and 14 to dominate. Hugoton led 25-6 after the first quarter, and the closest the Lady Beavers could get in the first half was at 32-15 with 4:33 remaining before halftime. That’s when the Lady Eagles closed the half on a 15-2 run to take a 47-17 lead at the break. Hugoton (18-0, 9-0 GWAC) opened up with the first five points of the second half, and eventually built a 71-24 lead going into the final quarter. Scott City (10-9, 6-3) outscored the Lady Eagles in the final eight minutes 9-7, as a running clock was used, due to the 30-plus point margin. Sydney Hein led three Hugoton players in double figures with 24 points, while Dallie Hoskinson finished with 16 and Amy Scott added 10. The Lady Eagles finished 12-23 at the foul line and had nine turnovers. Scott City was led by Emily Weathers with 11 points, as the Lady Beavers were just 5-14 at the free throw line, and had 21 turnovers. Hugoton has now won 14 straight games in the series, and have clinched their third straight GWAC win, and have won 29 straight league games. Andy Gillen is one win from 100 wins in Hugoton in his five years. 

Boys
Much like the first game played between the two teams on January 13, where Hugoton won 41-39, this one would be a roller coaster. Overall, nine ties and nine lead changes, to go along with an extra four minutes played. The Eagles built a 17-13 lead after the first quarter, and led 20-15 early in the second period. After they would lead 23-19 with 4:18 left in the first half, a three-minute, six-second scoring drought would take place. That’s when Scott City (11-8, 4-5 GWAC) would score nine straight points, and eventually take a 31-29 halftime lead. After leading 34-29 with 7:23 left in the third quarter, it would be the Beavers on a scoring drought and it was a long one. The Eagles scored the next 15 points of the game to lead 44-34 with 25.5 seconds remaining in the third period. Scott City scored one free throw late to end an eight-minute, 15-second drought to pull to within 44-35 after three quarters. Hugoton would see the lead eventually shrink in the final period. The Beavers would work their way back into the lead with 1:35 remaining at 54-53, only to see the Eagles convert a three-point play with 1:28 left to take the 56-54 lead. Both teams would exchange a free throw. With 39 seconds remaining, Jordan Horn tied the game at 57 with a jumper in the paint. Hugoton (13-5, 6-3) put up a deep three pointer with about six seconds left. The Beavers would grab the board and moved down the court. Following a pair of timeouts, Scott City missed a shot on the right side of the basket at the end of regulation, tied at 57. In overtime, Scott City and the Eagles would trade baskets, and eventually free throws in the first two minutes. Hugoton would hold the ball, and would eventually be called for an offensive foul with around six seconds left. Bo Hess drove the length of the floor and was fouled going up with one second remaining. He would miss the first charity shot, but make the second to give Scott City the 61-60 lead. The Eagles had their first pass attempt deflected out of bounds, and came up too strong on the shot attempt on the left baseline, and the Beavers won their seventh straight game in Hugoton. Jordan Horn led Scott City with 17 points, 11 coming in the fourth quarter and the extra session, while Bo Hess and Marshal Faurot each had 13 points. The Beavers had 12 turnovers, and were 14-24 at the foul line. Hugoton was led by Anthony Kinser and Zack Leininger with 11 points apiece, and Colby Korf added 10. The Eagles were 13-23 at the free throw line, and had 15 turnovers. With the win, Scott City has guaranteed themselves their 20th winning season in the last 21 years, and are 8-2 in Hugoton since 1993. 

Coach Brian Gentry Postgame

Scott City will wrap up the regular season on Tuesday at home against Goodland, while Hugoton hosts Lakin on Tuesday, and travels to Holcomb on Friday.