BUFFS ROUNDUP: Friday, March 6, 2020
BASKETBALL
The Garden City High School girls and boys basketball seasons came to an earlier-than-desired end this week with Class 6A sub-state setbacks in respective semifinal road games.
The Lady Buffs were eliminated from further postseason play on Tuesday, March 3, with a 53-45 loss at Hutchinson while the Buffs’ boys traveled to Derby on Wednesday, March 4, and suffered a 68-40 setback to the Panthers.
Both teams finished their overall seasons with 10 wins and 11 losses.
GIRLS
At halftime of Tuesday’s Class 6A sub-state semifinal game in Hutchinson, the Garden City Lady Buffaloes were holding a low-scoring 17-14 lead over the host Lady Salthawks.
That defensive battle turned into an offensive showcase in the final half, and despite scoring 28 points over the last 16 minutes, the Lady Buffs saw Hutch explode for 39 points en route to a 53-45 triumph.
The loss ended the Lady Buffs’ season with an overall 10 wins and 11 losses for coach Matt Pfeifer’s squad.
For the future of the program, things look bright as nearly all the starters for the Buffs will return in the 2020-21 season. Junior Keyhana Turner, who scored 13 points in the final half, led the team with 17 points while freshman Aileen Becerril followed with 15 points.
The Lady Buffs led 8-6 after the first quarter and then had that three-point halftime edge. Hutch outscored Garden 22-15 in the third period to go up by a 36-32 margin and then outscored the Buffs 17-13 in the closing quarter.
Hutchinson’s win advanced them to the sub-state championship game which was scheduled for Friday night, March 6, at No. 2 seeded and unbeaten Topeka High (21-0).
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Garden City(10-11) 8 9 15 13 — 45
Hutchinson (12-9) 6 8 22 17 — 53
Garden City (45) – Calzonetti 2 0-0 6, Becerril 5 1-2 15, Franco 1 0-0 3, Gallegos 1 1-2 4, Turner 7 3-5 17. Totals 16 5-9 45. 3-point goals: 8 (Calzonetti 2, Becerril 4, Franco 1, Gallegos 1).
BOYS
Traveling to face Derby in the Class 6A sub-state tournament has been a somewhat regular postseason trip for the Garden City Buffaloes’ boys basketball team and it usually has not ended on the positive side.
That was the case on Wednesday, March 4, when the Buffs fell 68-40 to the Panthers to see their season end prematurely with a final record of 10 wins and 11 losses.
Derby pounced early on the Buffs, leading 21-5 after the first quarter and then upping the lead to 35-14 by halftime. Continuing to expand its advantage, the Panthers ended the third quarter with a 57-27 advantage.
Azavier Williams, with four 3-point baskets, was the lone double-figure scorer for coach Jacy Holloway’s squad with 14 points in his final game in a Buffalo uniform. Williams and Carson Tanner were the lone seniors who saw action, so the majority of the roster will return next year for Holloway.
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Garden City (10-11) 5 9 13 13 — 40
Derby (14-7) 21 14 22 11 — 68
Garden City (40) – Rosales 2 1-2 5, Williams 4 2-2 14, Metzen 1 0-0 2, Flores 3 0-0 9, Wiese 1 2-2 4, Nuzum 2 0-2 4. Totals 13 5-8 40. 3-point goals: 7 (Williams 4, Flores 3).
Garden City High School 