GIRLS FINAL:
SALINA SOUTH 44
MAIZE 38
The Lady Cougars entered Tuesday night’s matchup with Maize 8-2 on the season, one of their best starts in recent memory. Coming off of a gritty win against Hutchinson just a few days ago, the Lady Cougars looked to continue their momentum seeking a 2nd straight road victory.
Salina South got off to a good start in the first half, building a 9-point lead at halftime over the Lady Eagles. Paityn Fritz and guard Kyla Hamel would lead the way offensively for South, combining for 19 of the Lady Cougars 23 first half points. Another powerful performance on defense for Salina South along with some early foul trouble from two of Maize’s starters, the Lady Cougars had no trouble in the first half as the led Maize 23-14 at the break.
Despite an impressive effort from Maize in the 2nd half, the Cougars were able to overcome some late turnovers and survive an upset on the road. Heidi Williams, who missed considerable time in the first half after picking up her 3rd foul of the game early in the 2nd quarter, single handedly kept the Lady Eagles in the ballgame, dropping 19 of the teams 24 second half points. Despite this, Salina South was able to come up with some late stops defensively and secure their 9th win of the season by a final score of 44-38.
BOYS FINAL:
MAIZE 63
SALINA SOUTH 48
The Cougars entered Tuesday’s game 8-2 on the season, looking for their 3rd straight win after back-to-back close victories against Great Bend (61-59 OT) and Hutchinson (53-48). They would have their hands full inTuesday night against Maize (6-2).
It was a slow start to the game for Salina South, as the Eagles would jump out to an early 17-5 lead at the end of one. The second quarter, although better, still found the Cougars trailing by double digits at halftime, 33-23. Maize, one of the tallest teams in the league, used their size advantage to their advantage throughout the game, and especially in the first half. No one under 6ft tall stepped on the court for the Eagles Tuesday night, including 6 foot 4 Brayden Myovela and 6 foot 7 Karson Miles, who made their presence felt.
The second half Salina South changed into a 1-3-1 zone defense to try and pressure the ball and help themselves in the paint, and it worked out well. The Cougars were able to climb back into the game and make it a 6-point deficit heading into the 4th quarter thanks to their zone defense and Jaxon Meyers impressive second half offense. Despite a hard-fought 4th quarter which saw the Cougars within 4 points of the Eagles with around 6 minutes to play, it was Maize who was able to knock down some shots late. Salina South would drop their 3rd game of the season by a final score of 63-48.
Salina South will be back in action Friday night at home against Maize South.
