By RANDY GONZALES

rgonzales@dailynews.net

A team that likes to share the basketball didn't want to share the conference title.

So, the Hays High School girls' basketball team took care of business. The sixth-ranked Indians won their seventh straight, defeating Dodge City 53-37 Tuesday night at the HHS gym to clinch the WAC title outright.

"It's been a goal we finally accomplished," senior forward Paige Lunsford said. "We really work hard as a team.

"It feels good to say it's finally ours," she added.

Hays High (15-4 overall, 7-0 WAC) claimed its first conference crown since the Indians won back-to-back titles in 2002-03. HHS will try to go unbeaten in conference on Friday at rival Great Bend.

"I was pleased," Hays High coach Kirk Maska said. "The girls worked hard, did a lot this summer.

"Reaping a few rewards right now," he added. "It was nice to get this win, and not have to share the WAC with anybody."

The Indians once again won with defense and patience on offense.

After holding Dodge City to 17 percent shooting and 1-of-20 from 3-point range in the first meeting, HHS shut down Dodge City again on Tuesday. The Red Demons shot 33 percent from the floor and connected on 2-of-13 3-pointers.

Offensively, the Indians took their time, looking for holes in Dodge City's zone. The Indians finished with just nine turnovers.

"Just trying to control the tempo of the game, realizing when we have something, when we don't have anything," Maska said.

Lunsford -- Hays High's leading scorer on the season -- was held without a point while the Indians took a 12-6 lead after the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Lunsford scored 10 points -- including the Indians' first seven in the period -- as HHS took a 24-12 halftime lead.

"I think things just opened up in the second quarter," Lunsford said. "At this point, (opponents) don't know who to guard, because everyone can go off at any time. Everyone's been scoring pretty balanced lately."

Lunsford led or tied Hays High for scoring honors in the first 14 games. In the last four games, someone else had scoring honors. But on Tuesday, it was Lunsford leading the way with 21 points.

Lunsford was 6-of-12 from the floor, but the rest of the Indians were 8-of-28 as HHS shot 35 percent for the game.

"Tonight, we attacked early," Maska said. "We were getting good shots, and they just weren't going in."

Still, Hays High's deliberate offense and tight defense gave the Indians a 24-12 halftime lead. The Indians were up 35-18 after three quarters before Dodge City (10-9, 4-3) rallied.

The Red Demons went on a 10-4 run to start the fourth quarter to get back within 11 points at 39-28. The Indians got a basket from Lunsford, but Dodge City made it 45-34 with 2:10 left in the game.

HHS then got a big basket from junior forward Taylor Herman, followed by six free throws to clinch the title.

"We let them crawl back in a little bit," Maska said. "We answered by hitting free throws."

Herman's bucket was a turnaround 15-footer while Dodge City was trying to force a turnover. Not exactly the shot Maska wanted.

"She's a good shooter, knocked it down," Maska said. "It wasn't the shot we wanted to take at that time."

But that shot also exemplified how far this HHS team has come from a 3-3 start. Last year, and early this year, HHS would have been hesitant in a tight game. Now, the Indians look like an entirely different team.

"That's a sign they're confident, they believe," Maska said.

Herman finished with four points, but added six rebounds, four assists and four blocked shots. Junior guard Janae Gagnon, normally a starter, came off the bench to score nine points.

Little-used senior Sidney Schmeidler started for Gagnon on Senior Night, and scored the game's first points -- a 3-pointer in the corner 12 seconds into the game.

"I kind of teased her a little after that," Maska said. "She stepped up and busted one."

The team's other senior, guard Hanna Pfannenstiel, added eight points and played her usual tight defense. Pfannenstiel helped hold Dodge City senior Kesha Buckner -- last season's WAC Player of the Year -- to six points. Junior Alexis Sanchez led Dodge City with nine points.

The three seniors help the program in so many ways, Maska said.

"They all three have done so much for me," Maska said. "I don't teach in the building, so they're kind of my right-hand man behind the scenes.

"They do so much as far as leadership on and off the court," he added. "They've been positive, bought into teamwork. I can't say enough about them."

Maska can say one thing -- they're WAC champions.