Picture courtesy of Tanner Colvin

Salina South’s girls make no secret of their desire to hoist a Salina Invitational Tournament championship trophy.

For a Cougar team dominated by seniors, this is their final chance to win a title that has eluded South since 2013.

“We were looking (last week), seeing who was in the SIT this year and we feel like we have a really good chance of coming away with the win,” said South senior center Paityn Fritz, who leads the Cougars with 15.3 points and better than nine rebounds per game. “Last year we got third, and it’s just not good enough.”

The Cougars come into the tournament seeded second with a 9-3 record and open against No. 7 seed Great Bend (2-8) at 6 p.m. Thursday in the South gym. The other first-round girls game at South features No. 3 Wichita East (8-3) against No. 6 Abilene (3-7) at 3.

In Thursday’s other first-round games, at Salina Central, the No. 4 Mustangs (6-6) play host to No. 5 Buhler (5-6) at 6 p.m. and No. 1 Wamego (11-1) takes on No. 8 Junction City (1-8) at 3. The first-round winners move on to Kansas Wesleyan’s Mabee Arena for the semifinal and final rounds Friday and Saturday, with losers’ bracket games all take place at Salina South.

“The SIT is always one of those things at the beginning of the year that we talk about in terms of team goals,” said South coach Justin Ebert said, whose Cougars are coming off a 47-20 loss Friday at Maize South. “There’s no secret that we want to play in the finals of the SIT this year.”

“It’s been a while since a Salina South girls basketball team has been able to do that. It’s not the easiest bracket for us to get there.”

The Cougars start with a rematch against Great Bend, a team they beat 47-18 on Jan. 6. But should they get past the Panthers, they could face a loaded Wichita East team that advanced to Class 6A state last year and has added a group of talented freshmen.

“(Great Bend) is a team that has gotten better over the last two weeks,” Ebert said. “The challenge is to be mentally ready and tough against a team we took it to and not be complacent.”

“Wichita East returns some players from their state tournament team and they’ve brought in some really good freshman. (Jada) Davis runs the point and off guard and they’ve also added some inside presence.”

Davis, a 6-foot-1 freshman, averages 16.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6-foot freshman Miya Repress adds 14.1 points and 8.2 rebounds to lead the Blue Aces. In addition to Fritz, South gets 8.5 points per game from senior Brooklyn Jordan and 6.1 from Brylee Moss, with Elle Barth adding 5.2 rebounds.

On the other side of the bracket, Salina Central opens against Buhler. The teams have one common opponent so far in Goddard, witch Central beating the Lions, 48-38, and Buhler prevailing, 63-51.

The Mustangs had won five of six games before falling at home to Goddard Eisenhower on Friday, 44-37.

“We’re excited to match up with them,” Central coach Paige Talbott said of Buhler. “I’m sure it’s going to be a physical battle.”

“We didn’t come out how we wanted to (Friday), but I’m really proud of our girls for fighting through it. We’re still going strong with that momentum.”

Central was led by junior forward Grace Ostmeyer with 17 points and 14 rebounds Friday against Eisenhower, but the Mustangs have relied on a balanced attack all season. Fellow starters Lexie Guerrero, Katy Wagner, Macy O’Hara and Brooke Banninger, along with Makambri Hastings and Juliet Abbott off the bench all have contributed on offense on different nights.

“We have grown a lot every single game, every single week and every day in practice,” Talbott said. “With us and South, it’s a really big deal to be able to host our own tournament every year.”

“We get our first game here at home and then the goal is to end up at Kansas Wesleyan.”

A Central victory against Buhler likely would set up a semifinal matchup Friday against top seed Wamego.

There is no defending champ this year with Andover leaving the SIT after beating Buhler in the 2025, 61-48.

SALINA INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT

Girls schedule

Thursday’s first round

At Salina Central

No. 1 Wamego (11-1) vs. No. 8 Junction City (1-8), 3 p.m.

No. 4 Salina Central (6-6) vs. No. 5 Buhler (5-6), 6 p.m.

At Salina South

No. 3 Wichita East (8-3) vs. No. 6 Abilene (3-7), 3 p.m.

No. 2 Salina South (9-3) vs. No. 7 Great Bend (2-8), 6 p.m.

Friday’s games

At Kansas Wesleyan

Semifinals

Salina South-Great Bend winner vs. Wichita East-Abilene winner, 3 p.m.

Wamego-Junction City winner vs. Salina Central-Buhler winner, 6 p.m.

At Salina South

Consolation bracket

Salina South-Great Bend loser vs. Wichita East-Abilene loser, 3 p.m.

Wamego-Junction City loser vs. Salina Central-Buhler loser, 6 p.m.

Saturday’s games

At Kansas Wesleyan

Third-place game, 10 a.m.

Championship game, 1 p.m.

At Salina South

Seventh-place game, 10 a.m.

Fifth-place game, 1 p.m.