By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Junior Avery Grunert banked in a long 3-pointer at the buzzer Saturday night to give Hayden a 42-40 overtime Class 4A sub-state championship-game win over Fort Scott and a berth in the state tournament at Salina.
Junior Avery Grunert (right) is mobbed by her teammates after hitting the game-winning 3-pointer in overtime to give Hayden a 42-40 win over Fort Scott Saturday night. [Twitter/Hayden girls basketball]
Hayden girls engage in the tradition of taking a bite out of the championship trophy after Saturday night's 42-40 overtime win in Fort Scott. [Twitter/Hayden girls basketball]
Hayden poses for a team picture after winning a Class 4A sub-state championship Saturday night in Fort Scott. [Twitter/Hayden girls basketball]
Trailing 40-39, Hayden inbounded the ball with 3.3 seconds left in overtime and Grunert released her game-winning shot as time ran out.
Fort Scott led 7-5 at the end of the opening quarter before Hayden took a 14-11 lead at the half.
Hayden led 28-21 at the start of the fourth quarter but the Tigers battled back to send the game to overtime tied at 33.
Norma Greco paced the 15-7 Wildcats with 12 points while Kaliya Fulton added 11 and Lauren Sandstom eight points.
Keegan Yarick led Fort Scott, which finished 19-3, with 19 points, hitting nine consecutive free throws in the fourth quarter and overtime.
PITTSBURG BOYS 53, SHAWNEE HEIGHTS 52 -- Shawnee Heights came within a whisker of earning a berth in the Class 5A state tournament, dropping a 53-52 decision to Pittsburgn in Saturday night's sub-state championship game.
The game was tied at 12-12 at the end of the opening quarter before Pittsburg (17-5) took a 25-20 advantage at the half.
Shawnee Heights battled back to take a 39-38 lead at the start of the fourth quarter.
The T-Birds finished their season 15-7.
HUTCHINSON BOYS 66, TOPEKA WEST 38 -- Once-beaten Hutchinson took control in the first half, opening up a 16-point lead, on the way to a 66-38 win over Topeka West in Saturday's Class 5A sub-state final.
The Salthawks led 19-15 at the end of the first quarter but led by a commanding 36-20 advantage at the half.
Hutch, 21-1, le 54-32 at the start of the fourth quarter.
Topeka West finished its season 14-8.
