Image courtesy of Tanner Colvin
Salina Central’s boys and girls basketball teams were looking to ride a wave of momentum into next week’s Salina Invitational Tournament, but instead it was a rough night Friday for the Mustangs.
Both teams came in having won five of their previous six games, but fell short at home against Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League Division II foe Goddard Eisenhower with the boys falling 68-57 and the girls, 44-37.
The Mustangs now are off until Thursday, when the girls play host to Buhler in a 6 p.m. game and the boys entertain De Soto at 7:30 in the first round of the SIT. Both teams are seeded fourth.
EISENHOWER BOYS 68, SALINA CENTRAL 57
Central was in good shape at the end of a first half that featured three ties and seven lead changes, taking a 30-25 to the locker room on Angel McMurray’s 3-pointer at the buzzer.
But things unraveled after the break as Eisenhower exploded for 24 third-quarter points to regain the lead, 49-43, and then blowing it open with a nine-point run to open the fourth.
The Mustangs turned the ball over 16 times in the game to nine for Eisenhower, and after outrebounding the Tigers 18-11 in the first half saw that advantage evaporate after intermission to finish with just a 29-28 edge on the boards.
Central shot 50% from the floor but made just 2 of 12 3-point attempts and were 11-for-20 from the free-throw line. Goddard shot just 44% but knocked down five 3-pointers and 17 of 20 from beyond the arc.
For Central (6-6, 4-2 AVCTL-II), Grant Ostmeyer had 16 points, Kaeden Nienke 15, and Greyson Jones 12. Jones and Noah Peck each grabbed seven rebounds.
Braylon Brokschmidt made four 3-pointers and five free throws on the way to a game-high 19 points for Eisenhower (5-6). Romari Howard scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half after sitting much of the first quarter with two early fouls, and Owen Stanberry contributed 11 points plus a team-best six rebounds.
EISENHOWER GIRLS 44, SALINA CENTRAL 37
Central led by three points late in the third quarter, but back-to-back 3-pointers in the final 55 seconds put Eisenhower in front for good, 31-28, heading into the fourth. The Mustangs got within two twice in the final period but got no closer.
After Eisenhower outscored Central 11-3 in the second quarter to lead 22-18 at the half, the Mustangs used a six-point run to go up 28-25 on Brooke Banninger’s 3-pointer with 1:20 left in the third. But the Tigers answered with threes from Mallori Rose and Payton Blue to regain the lead.
Central outrebounded Eisenhower, 38-29, but turned the ball over 20 times to 10 for the Tigers and made just 4 of 21 3-point attempts.
Grace Ostmeyer led Central (6-6, 4-2 AVCTL-II) with 17 points and 14 rebounds, while Brooke Banninger had eight points and Juliet Abbott eight rebounds off the bench. Rose finished with 15 points and Blue 13 for Eisenhower (7-4).
