Picture courtesy of Tanner Colvin
GIRLS FINAL:
ANDOVER 69
SALINA CENTRAL 31
Friday night’s opener at Salina Central featured the Lady Mustangs squaring off against one of the state’s top teams, the defending league champion Andover Lady Trojans. Andover entered the game having gone 60-4 over the past three seasons with their last league loss coming in 2023. Not to mention seven consecutive wins over Central.
The box score of their last meeting did not tell the full story of the game, and Central hoped to make it as competitive the second time around.
Central’s struggles began offensively, as they finished the first quarter without a made field goal. Trailing 16-4, Andover made nothing easy with relentless ball pressure and no gaps to expose.
The Lady Mustangs were able to take advantage of Andover’s over-aggressive defense by drawing fouls and getting to the free throw line. 9 of their 16 first half points came at the charity stripe.
Despite Andover’s attempts to get the ball out of Lexie Guerrero’s hands, Guerrero continued to find driving lanes and draw plenty of fouls. Unfortunately, her defensive intensity led to her own personal foul count increasing, forcing her to sit for extended periods. The minutes without her on the floor were Andover’s best.
Andover’s leading scorer, Bella Bouddhara came alive in the third quarter to help extend the lead. She poured in 11 points in the frame and finished with a game-high 23.
The Lady Mustangs fell to 8-9 on the season and 4-3 in league play. They were led by Lexie Guerrero with 13 points and Makambri Hastings with 11.
BOYS FINAL:
SALINA CENTRAL 46
ANDOVER 43
Given the history of this matchup on the boys side, the task seemed even taller for Central’s boys. 18 consecutive losses to Andover followed them into Friday night, but they believed it was the night to snap the streak.
Central began the game hounding Andover on the perimeter, no single pass was easy and rarely was a shot open. It was clear from the tip, that no losing streak or even a memory of their last meeting was going affect the Mustangs belief that they could win Friday’s game.
The first quarter moved slow, as Andover committed its fifth team foul just two minutes into the frame and the Mustangs were able to take their time at the line.
The second quarter had more flow, but to the benefit of Salina Central. They led 27-15 at halftime.
While the third quarter featured more turnovers and a shrunken lead, Central never let Andover back in front. The Trojans were only able to get within 10 after a 3-pointer at the buzzer from Easton Peck, which helped carry momentum into the fourth quarter.
The nerves in the gym from both fan bases were palpable during the late stages of the fourth when Andover made its first serious run. With under a minute remaining, Andover pulled within one point at 41-40. After free throws, they got the ball back trailing 43-40 and called timeout.
Out of the timeout, a simple inbound pass was tipped and stolen by Grant Ostmeyer on the near sideline, he was chased and fouled. After more free throws, Central had put the game out of reach.
After the final buzzer sounded, Salina Central had its signature win of the season. The Mustangs defeated Andover for the first time since 2019. They improved to 9-8 and 5-2 in league play.
“This is a huge win for our program.” said head coach Chris Fear.
Next up, Central travels to Andover Central for a second meeting with the Jaguars.
