By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post

On Thursday night, Southeast of Saline pulled off the upset of the tournament in a shocking 57-47 victory over the Hesston Swathers.

Less than 48 hours later, the Trojans were at it again, defeating Santa Fe Trail 57-51 to punch their ticket to a third straight 3A state tournament.

“Nobody believed that this team could get it done but this team believed otherwise,” SES head coach Bryson Flax said. “We lost nine games but of the six teams we lost to five of them are going to state and the only one that’s not is Hesston. The guys kept believing and it wasn’t pretty tonight but we were able to go on a big run and I’m so proud of this group.”

At 14-9, the Trojans will be the 7-seed at this year’s state tournament in Hutch, while Santa Fe Trail’s season draws to a close at 13-9.

It was far from a pretty start for Southeast, who found themselves struggling on offense and behind 11-5 at the end of the first quarter.

From there, the Trojans exploded, rattling off a 17-5 run to take a 24-19 lead into the break.

“I saw some body language from our guys that I didn’t love, I just wanted to see them stay composed,” Flax said. “Things aren’t always going to fall your way and you can’t stay too high or too low but we did a good job of getting back on track.”

The Chargers battled back and cut the lead to four going into the fourth, but Southeast was able to keep them at arms length to claim the sub-state title 57-51.

Three different Trojans finished the night in double figures, as Owen Bailey (18) led the way with four first-half threes, backed up by Gannon Jacobson (17), and Danny Kejr (11).

Santa Fe Trail meanwhile, got 15 points from Lane Workman, 13 from Garin Kincaid, and 11 from Jalen Smith, but failed to receive a single point from their bench all game.

While many will once again be counting SES out next week, the Trojans are used to being overlooked, and will set out to prove the doubters wrong once again when the ball goes in the air on Wednesday.

“These guys are all so stinkin special and I’ll never forget these moments,” Flax said. “We’re not going to be a high seed but we’ll be prepared and ready for whatever’s next.”

The Trojans will match up with the 2-seed in Cheney (21-2) in the 3A quarterfinals at 4:00 this Wednesday.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697215856555.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>On Thursday night, Southeast of Saline pulled off the upset of the tournament in a shocking 57-47 victory over the Hesston Swathers.Less than 48 hours later, the Trojans were at it again, defeating Santa Fe Trail 57-51 to punch their ticket to a third straight 3A state tournament.“Nobody believed that this team could get it done but this team believed otherwise,” SES head coach Bryson Flax said. “We lost nine games but of the six teams we lost to five of them are going to state and the only one that’s not is Hesston. The guys kept believing and it wasn’t pretty tonight but we were able to go on a big run and I’m so proud of this group.”At 14-9, the Trojans will be the 7-seed at this year’s state tournament in Hutch, while Santa Fe Trail’s season draws to a close at 13-9.It was far from a pretty start for Southeast, who found themselves struggling on offense and behind 11-5 at the end of the first quarter.From there, the Trojans exploded, rattling off a 17-5 run to take a 24-19 lead into the break.“I saw some body language from our guys that I didn’t love, I just wanted to see them stay composed,” Flax said. “Things aren’t always going to fall your way and you can’t stay too high or too low but we did a good job of getting back on track.”The Chargers battled back and cut the lead to four going into the fourth, but Southeast was able to keep them at arms length to claim the sub-state title 57-51.Three different Trojans finished the night in double figures, as Owen Bailey (18) led the way with four first-half threes, backed up by Gannon Jacobson (17), and Danny Kejr (11).Santa Fe Trail meanwhile, got 15 points from Lane Workman, 13 from Garin Kincaid, and 11 from Jalen Smith, but failed to receive a single point from their bench all game.While many will once again be counting SES out next week, the Trojans are used to being overlooked, and will set out to prove the doubters wrong once again when the ball goes in the air on Wednesday.“These guys are all so stinkin special and I’ll never forget these moments,” Flax said. “We’re not going to be a high seed but we’ll be prepared and ready for whatever’s next.”The Trojans will match up with the 2-seed in Cheney (21-2) in the 3A quarterfinals at 4:00 this Wednesday.

Trojans Eliminate Chargers, Punch Third-Straight Ticket to 3A State Tournament

Asked how his Kansas Wesleyan basketball had just pulled off a comeback for the ages against No. 9-ranked and third-seeded Southwestern coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bc9c342a-cd36-4f5d-91ac-eaec06245a53?elinkdata=6578">Anthony Monson</a> began with a quote from a former Coyote player and renowned player development coach Phil Beckner.

"Phil has a saying that I've used all year - 'find a way or find an excuse,'" he said. "That just sums it up."

The Coyotes indeed found a way in the most improbable way possible. Trailing the entire game, they took their first lead with 26.5 seconds left on two <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4c9e0bc7-8944-44e7-96b4-8c0daaf88e4d?elinkdata=6578">Jun Murdock</a> free throws then added four more freebies enroute to an incredible 76-71 victory in the semifinals of the Kansas Conference Tournament on Saturday night inside Mabee Arena.

The second-seeded Coyotes (23-7) will play fourth-ranked and top-seeded Oklahoma Wesleyan in the championship at 8 p.m. Monday in Hartman Arena in Park City - the first title game for KWU since the tournament moved there.

"Game's 40 minutes long for a reason," Monson said. "We only led for about 25 seconds but it was the most important 25 seconds."

It appeared that would not be the case most of the night. Southwestern (24-5) scored the game's first eight points, led by as many as 12 (34-22) in the first half and as many as 11 (57-46) in the second half. Justin DeMaria's field goal with 3:35 left in the game made it 71-64 and it remained that way until a Murdock basket with 2:07 left.

After a Southwestern missed shot <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/08d4804c-0aa2-474a-b7f5-0decbe887a9a?elinkdata=6578">Thurbil Bile</a> scored and cut the deficit to 71-68 with 1:18 left. After another errant Moundbuilder shot <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1b9e1aff-d5f4-40b4-b5d9-ce1578c52886?elinkdata=6578">Alex Littlejohn</a> got the Coyotes within 71-70 with a field goal with 36.5 seconds left.

Southwestern's Andrew O'Brien then missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw opportunity with 29 seconds left and Murdock's two free throws 12.6 seconds later gave KWU its first advantage, 71-70.

Southwestern's Cevin Clark, the NAIA' s leading scorer, missed a 3-point attempt and Littlejohn was fouled on the rebound. His two free throws with 4.2 seconds left capped the Coyotes' resurrection.

Clark, who entered the game averaging 26.5 points, finished with 18 - two the second half on 1 of 8 shooting. KWU outscored Southwestern 12-0 in the final 3:35, the Moundbuilders missing their last four shots, a free throw and committing two turnovers. They scored two points the final 6:47.

The Coyotes once again relied on Murdock and Littlejohn to pull them through. Littlejohn finished with 29 points and 16 rebounds while Murdock had 21 points and seven assists.

"We just put the ball in our two best players' hands," Monson said when asked how his team managed to prevail. "They're both All-Americans, they're two of the best players in the league, they make me as a coach look really, really good."

"The main thing is we all believed," Murdock said. "We wanted that game bad, we wanted to go play for a championship and we never stopped fighting. This team is built for that. When our back is against the wall, we give our all."

KWU closed the first half on a 12-4 run and trailed 41-38 at the break. Littlejohn had a double-double, 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Murdock 10 points and five assists the first 20 minutes.

Littlejohn had 91 points and 43 rebounds in the Coyotes' three victories over Southwestern this season.

"There's a lot of teams that are bigger than us, but we've got heart," he said. "We may not be the biggest, but we've got heart and we're going to do what we need to do to get the win. It was now or never and knew what we were playing for and at the end of the day we got it."

KWU shot 43.5 percent (27 of 62) and was 4 of 14 from long distance - the four in the first half.

Clark led Southwestern with 18 points and O'Brien had 13 and seven rebounds. The Moundbuilders shot 42.4 percent and were 10 of 26 from long range but just 2 of 9 in the second half.

Monson had high praise for Murdock's defensive effort against Clark who was 7 of 17 shooting.

"Clark is a heck of a player," he said. "(Murdock) doesn't lead the league in steals or anything else but he's the best defender in the league, I don't care what anybody says. When he does what he does on that end of the floor, gets you 20-plus points on the other end of the floor and plays 40 minutes there ain't nobody in the league doing that."

"I just tried to pressure him but like coach said that was a team effort," Murdock said. "Everybody had my back helping me any time he tried to drive. He's likes to go right hand and they had help on my back side."

Oklahoma Wesleyan (28-2) defeated Saint Mary 90-74 in Saturday's other semifinal. The Eagles downed KWU 82-66 January 20 in Mabee Arena in their only matchup this season. OKWU has won the last 10 games against the Coyotes but that will be meaningless Monday.

"It means everything," Murdock said of playing for the title. "It's been a goal of mine (to win a championship) since I got to college and now, I've finally got a chance to do it."

"These guys are as mentally tough as it gets, they never quit and find a way," Monson said. "We've had some ups and downs this year. I always remind them we were 4-4 at one point and now we're 23-7 and playing for a championship."

Asked how his Kansas Wesleyan basketball had just pulled off a comeback for the ages against No. 9-ranked and third-seeded Southwestern coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bc9c342a-cd36-4f5d-91ac-eaec06245a53?elinkdata=6578">Anthony Monson</a> began with a quote from a former Coyote player and renowned player development coach Phil Beckner."Phil has a saying that I've used all year - 'find a way or find an excuse,'" he said. "That just sums it up."The Coyotes indeed found a way in the most improbable way possible. Trailing the entire game, they took their first lead with 26.5 seconds left on two <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4c9e0bc7-8944-44e7-96b4-8c0daaf88e4d?elinkdata=6578">Jun Murdock</a> free throws then added four more freebies enroute to an incredible 76-71 victory in the semifinals of the Kansas Conference Tournament on Saturday night inside Mabee Arena.The second-seeded Coyotes (23-7) will play fourth-ranked and top-seeded Oklahoma Wesleyan in the championship at 8 p.m. Monday in Hartman Arena in Park City - the first title game for KWU since the tournament moved there."Game's 40 minutes long for a reason," Monson said. "We only led for about 25 seconds but it was the most important 25 seconds."It appeared that would not be the case most of the night. Southwestern (24-5) scored the game's first eight points, led by as many as 12 (34-22) in the first half and as many as 11 (57-46) in the second half. Justin DeMaria's field goal with 3:35 left in the game made it 71-64 and it remained that way until a Murdock basket with 2:07 left.After a Southwestern missed shot <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/08d4804c-0aa2-474a-b7f5-0decbe887a9a?elinkdata=6578">Thurbil Bile</a> scored and cut the deficit to 71-68 with 1:18 left. After another errant Moundbuilder shot <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1b9e1aff-d5f4-40b4-b5d9-ce1578c52886?elinkdata=6578">Alex Littlejohn</a> got the Coyotes within 71-70 with a field goal with 36.5 seconds left.Southwestern's Andrew O'Brien then missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw opportunity with 29 seconds left and Murdock's two free throws 12.6 seconds later gave KWU its first advantage, 71-70.Southwestern's Cevin Clark, the NAIA' s leading scorer, missed a 3-point attempt and Littlejohn was fouled on the rebound. His two free throws with 4.2 seconds left capped the Coyotes' resurrection.Clark, who entered the game averaging 26.5 points, finished with 18 - two the second half on 1 of 8 shooting. KWU outscored Southwestern 12-0 in the final 3:35, the Moundbuilders missing their last four shots, a free throw and committing two turnovers. They scored two points the final 6:47.The Coyotes once again relied on Murdock and Littlejohn to pull them through. Littlejohn finished with 29 points and 16 rebounds while Murdock had 21 points and seven assists."We just put the ball in our two best players' hands," Monson said when asked how his team managed to prevail. "They're both All-Americans, they're two of the best players in the league, they make me as a coach look really, really good.""The main thing is we all believed," Murdock said. "We wanted that game bad, we wanted to go play for a championship and we never stopped fighting. This team is built for that. When our back is against the wall, we give our all."KWU closed the first half on a 12-4 run and trailed 41-38 at the break. Littlejohn had a double-double, 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Murdock 10 points and five assists the first 20 minutes.Littlejohn had 91 points and 43 rebounds in the Coyotes' three victories over Southwestern this season."There's a lot of teams that are bigger than us, but we've got heart," he said. "We may not be the biggest, but we've got heart and we're going to do what we need to do to get the win. It was now or never and knew what we were playing for and at the end of the day we got it."KWU shot 43.5 percent (27 of 62) and was 4 of 14 from long distance - the four in the first half.Clark led Southwestern with 18 points and O'Brien had 13 and seven rebounds. The Moundbuilders shot 42.4 percent and were 10 of 26 from long range but just 2 of 9 in the second half.Monson had high praise for Murdock's defensive effort against Clark who was 7 of 17 shooting."Clark is a heck of a player," he said. "(Murdock) doesn't lead the league in steals or anything else but he's the best defender in the league, I don't care what anybody says. When he does what he does on that end of the floor, gets you 20-plus points on the other end of the floor and plays 40 minutes there ain't nobody in the league doing that.""I just tried to pressure him but like coach said that was a team effort," Murdock said. "Everybody had my back helping me any time he tried to drive. He's likes to go right hand and they had help on my back side."Oklahoma Wesleyan (28-2) defeated Saint Mary 90-74 in Saturday's other semifinal. The Eagles downed KWU 82-66 January 20 in Mabee Arena in their only matchup this season. OKWU has won the last 10 games against the Coyotes but that will be meaningless Monday."It means everything," Murdock said of playing for the title. "It's been a goal of mine (to win a championship) since I got to college and now, I've finally got a chance to do it.""These guys are as mentally tough as it gets, they never quit and find a way," Monson said. "We've had some ups and downs this year. I always remind them we were 4-4 at one point and now we're 23-7 and playing for a championship."

Late rally sends Coyotes past Southwestern 76-71 in KCAC Semifinal

BROOKINGS, S.D. -&nbsp;Kansas Wesleyan Indoor Track pulled off one of its biggest All-America hauls in program history this weekend at the 2024 NAIA Indoor Track and Field National Championships.

The Coyotes had four individuals and relays earn All-America status.

Wesleyan's four All-America performances were highlighted by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/588ddfc7-6446-416d-a35a-c4a4a5091292?elinkdata=6555" target="_blank">Carter Huyser</a>&nbsp;earning third place in the 800m earning his 10th NAIA All-America honor of his career. He ran a time of 1:52.02 in the race.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4927f8a7-9edf-4ead-810d-42f8521575e6?elinkdata=6555" target="_blank">Madisyn Ehrlich</a>&nbsp;earned All-America honors in the 1000m finishing seventh. Her time of 2:59.52 earned her All-Amerca honors after qualifying with a school record 2:56.66.

The men's 4x800m relay team of&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f4bcbb89-91ad-496e-84fd-6aead8a18b2a?elinkdata=6555" target="_blank">Ty Davidson</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bc1395c0-9e9e-4d57-8446-420881733cf3?elinkdata=6555" target="_blank">Wyatt Johnson</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4e4490e7-a02f-47e2-bddd-bb6b302113a1?elinkdata=6555" target="_blank">Julian Avila</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1e410472-e832-4f67-82ce-7d935e20a2ac?elinkdata=6555" target="_blank">Carter Huyser</a>&nbsp;earned All-America honors finishing seventh and setting a new school record with a time of 7:41.59 in the preliminaries. The Coyotes ran a 7:57.84 in the finals.

The women's distance medley relay team of&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bdbadf38-9120-48a0-a855-d7c7a41e8013?elinkdata=6555" target="_blank">Josie Koppes</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/485f7dfc-d6ed-432a-983e-19c6c557170d?elinkdata=6555" target="_blank">Shelby Lingle</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ea59d606-7c83-495e-9a45-8fa1aa1dbfad?elinkdata=6555" target="_blank">Joni Schroeder</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8056b123-3260-4b7a-9ac4-5f078745b06e?elinkdata=6555" target="_blank">Madisyn Ehrlich</a>&nbsp;earned All-America honors finishing seventh. The team had a time of 12:28.49 to earn the All-America honor.

Also participating for the Coyotes at the NAIA National was&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9dcdfdd5-0838-43aa-bbc2-441c15699943?elinkdata=6555" target="_blank">Julian Avila</a>&nbsp;who finished 10th&nbsp;in the 1000m with a time of 2:30.24.

Freshman phenom&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/eecfcbb1-f007-40fa-87c8-fb6e924e8a38?elinkdata=6555" target="_blank">Damion Jackson</a>&nbsp;placed 23rd&nbsp;in the 3000m preliminaries with a time of 8:49.70.

BROOKINGS, S.D. -&nbsp;Kansas Wesleyan Indoor Track pulled off one of its biggest All-America hauls in program history this weekend at the 2024 NAIA Indoor Track and Field National Championships.The Coyotes had four individuals and relays earn All-America status.Wesleyan's four All-America performances were highlighted by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/588ddfc7-6446-416d-a35a-c4a4a5091292?elinkdata=6555" target="_blank">Carter Huyser</a>&nbsp;earning third place in the 800m earning his 10th NAIA All-America honor of his career. He ran a time of 1:52.02 in the race.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4927f8a7-9edf-4ead-810d-42f8521575e6?elinkdata=6555" target="_blank">Madisyn Ehrlich</a>&nbsp;earned All-America honors in the 1000m finishing seventh. Her time of 2:59.52 earned her All-Amerca honors after qualifying with a school record 2:56.66.The men's 4x800m relay team of&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f4bcbb89-91ad-496e-84fd-6aead8a18b2a?elinkdata=6555" target="_blank">Ty Davidson</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bc1395c0-9e9e-4d57-8446-420881733cf3?elinkdata=6555" target="_blank">Wyatt Johnson</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4e4490e7-a02f-47e2-bddd-bb6b302113a1?elinkdata=6555" target="_blank">Julian Avila</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1e410472-e832-4f67-82ce-7d935e20a2ac?elinkdata=6555" target="_blank">Carter Huyser</a>&nbsp;earned All-America honors finishing seventh and setting a new school record with a time of 7:41.59 in the preliminaries. The Coyotes ran a 7:57.84 in the finals.The women's distance medley relay team of&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bdbadf38-9120-48a0-a855-d7c7a41e8013?elinkdata=6555" target="_blank">Josie Koppes</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/485f7dfc-d6ed-432a-983e-19c6c557170d?elinkdata=6555" target="_blank">Shelby Lingle</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ea59d606-7c83-495e-9a45-8fa1aa1dbfad?elinkdata=6555" target="_blank">Joni Schroeder</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8056b123-3260-4b7a-9ac4-5f078745b06e?elinkdata=6555" target="_blank">Madisyn Ehrlich</a>&nbsp;earned All-America honors finishing seventh. The team had a time of 12:28.49 to earn the All-America honor.Also participating for the Coyotes at the NAIA National was&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9dcdfdd5-0838-43aa-bbc2-441c15699943?elinkdata=6555" target="_blank">Julian Avila</a>&nbsp;who finished 10th&nbsp;in the 1000m with a time of 2:30.24. Freshman phenom&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/eecfcbb1-f007-40fa-87c8-fb6e924e8a38?elinkdata=6555" target="_blank">Damion Jackson</a>&nbsp;placed 23rd&nbsp;in the 3000m preliminaries with a time of 8:49.70.

KWU Indoor Track has four All-America honors at NAIA Indoor Track Nationals

JUNCTION CITY - Kansas Wesleyan Men's Bowling emerged from the team game qualifying as the No. 4 seed, but the Coyotes left the KCAC Men's Bowling Invitational on top of the conference bowling landscape.

The underdog Coyotes pulled off two upset wins in bracket play to claim the KCAC Men's Bowling Invitation Title on Saturday.KWU was the No. 4 seed after finishing the 12 team games with a 1997 pin total.

However, pin totals are only good for seeding, not for bracket play.

In the semifinal, the Coyotes faced top seeded Avila, and rallied from an 0-2 deficit in the match to win 3-2. KWU dropped the first two games 211-181 and 163-133. 

Then Wesleyan caught fire, winning 212-174, 211-166 and closing it out with a 168-111 win.KWU then faced Saint Mary, the No. 3 seed, who knocked off 2 seed Ottawa in its semfinal.

KWU lost the first game 208-171, but then turned things purple and gold as the Coyotes won the second game 170-157, the third 190-156, then claimed the crown with a 184-162 win in the last game.

JUNCTION CITY - Kansas Wesleyan Men's Bowling emerged from the team game qualifying as the No. 4 seed, but the Coyotes left the KCAC Men's Bowling Invitational on top of the conference bowling landscape.The underdog Coyotes pulled off two upset wins in bracket play to claim the KCAC Men's Bowling Invitation Title on Saturday.KWU was the No. 4 seed after finishing the 12 team games with a 1997 pin total.However, pin totals are only good for seeding, not for bracket play.In the semifinal, the Coyotes faced top seeded Avila, and rallied from an 0-2 deficit in the match to win 3-2. KWU dropped the first two games 211-181 and 163-133. Then Wesleyan caught fire, winning 212-174, 211-166 and closing it out with a 168-111 win.KWU then faced Saint Mary, the No. 3 seed, who knocked off 2 seed Ottawa in its semfinal.KWU lost the first game 208-171, but then turned things purple and gold as the Coyotes won the second game 170-157, the third 190-156, then claimed the crown with a 184-162 win in the last game.

Men's Bowling claims victory in KCAC Invitational

HILLSBORO -&nbsp;Leading 19-14 after the first quarter, the Kansas Wesleyan women's basketball team felt it was in a good place to challenge the Tabor College Bluejays for a spot in Monday's KCAC Championship at Hartman Arena.

The Bluejays would lock down defensively, especially in the second half and knock off the Coyotes 72-46 at the Tabor Gym.

The loss ends Wesleyan's season at 17-13 overall. KWU finished 14-8 in the KCAC and earned the No. 4 seed in the tournament, knocking off Evangel in the quarterfinal.

Wesleyan scored the first four points of the game, and pushed the lead out to 11-2 on&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/18cc869b-e30a-43c4-b407-da8cbabb8396?elinkdata=6486" target="_blank">Angel Lee's</a>&nbsp;jumper with five minutes left in the first.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/18fcaf5a-4658-4e43-b671-e1f58f455bac?elinkdata=6486" target="_blank">Jill Stephens</a>&nbsp;gave the Coyotes a 16-7 lead on a bucket with 2:42 left in the first but Tabor battled back, cutting the difference to five after a quarter.

Tabor got within one at 19-18, but the Coyotes would answer every time, only to be followed right back with a Tabor score. Tabor tied it with 5:49 left in the half and took the lead with 4:28 left. 

KWU regained a three-point cushion on a bucket by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/17a829a9-de2e-410e-baf3-486f6c458e4b?elinkdata=6486" target="_blank">Hampton Williams</a>&nbsp;at 27-24, but the Bluejays came back to take a 29-28 lead into the half.

KWU retook the lead 30-29 to open the second half, but from there Tabor controlled the game, scoring six straight to take a 35-30 lead, and pushed the lead out to double digits with 4:38 left in the third.

Wesleyan struggled to shoot it in the second half, shooting under 20 percent in the half.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4578d9d3-50d2-459f-9a7b-139b14b8ccc1?elinkdata=6486" target="_blank">LaMyah Ricks</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d135550f-596e-4e60-8cb9-75c43cc9b75f?elinkdata=6486" target="_blank">Catherine Bowman</a>&nbsp;led the Coyotes with 10 points each, while Williams and Lee added seven each.

KWU was 15 of 45 for the game for 33.3 percent.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2b46cd4a-2e7c-46b2-bea6-1bfab21dbd51?elinkdata=6486" target="_blank">Brooke Strine</a>&nbsp;led the Coyotes with four rebounds.

HILLSBORO -&nbsp;Leading 19-14 after the first quarter, the Kansas Wesleyan women's basketball team felt it was in a good place to challenge the Tabor College Bluejays for a spot in Monday's KCAC Championship at Hartman Arena.The Bluejays would lock down defensively, especially in the second half and knock off the Coyotes 72-46 at the Tabor Gym.The loss ends Wesleyan's season at 17-13 overall. KWU finished 14-8 in the KCAC and earned the No. 4 seed in the tournament, knocking off Evangel in the quarterfinal.Wesleyan scored the first four points of the game, and pushed the lead out to 11-2 on&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/18cc869b-e30a-43c4-b407-da8cbabb8396?elinkdata=6486" target="_blank">Angel Lee's</a>&nbsp;jumper with five minutes left in the first.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/18fcaf5a-4658-4e43-b671-e1f58f455bac?elinkdata=6486" target="_blank">Jill Stephens</a>&nbsp;gave the Coyotes a 16-7 lead on a bucket with 2:42 left in the first but Tabor battled back, cutting the difference to five after a quarter.Tabor got within one at 19-18, but the Coyotes would answer every time, only to be followed right back with a Tabor score. Tabor tied it with 5:49 left in the half and took the lead with 4:28 left. KWU regained a three-point cushion on a bucket by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/17a829a9-de2e-410e-baf3-486f6c458e4b?elinkdata=6486" target="_blank">Hampton Williams</a>&nbsp;at 27-24, but the Bluejays came back to take a 29-28 lead into the half.KWU retook the lead 30-29 to open the second half, but from there Tabor controlled the game, scoring six straight to take a 35-30 lead, and pushed the lead out to double digits with 4:38 left in the third.Wesleyan struggled to shoot it in the second half, shooting under 20 percent in the half.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4578d9d3-50d2-459f-9a7b-139b14b8ccc1?elinkdata=6486" target="_blank">LaMyah Ricks</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d135550f-596e-4e60-8cb9-75c43cc9b75f?elinkdata=6486" target="_blank">Catherine Bowman</a>&nbsp;led the Coyotes with 10 points each, while Williams and Lee added seven each. KWU was 15 of 45 for the game for 33.3 percent.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2b46cd4a-2e7c-46b2-bea6-1bfab21dbd51?elinkdata=6486" target="_blank">Brooke Strine</a>&nbsp;led the Coyotes with four rebounds.

KWU Women's Basketball falls to Tabor in KCAC Semifinals

CINCINNATI (AP) — John Newman III scored 13 of his 18 in the second half, Simas Lukosius hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 10.6 seconds left and Cincinnati blew a 13-point lead before beating Kansas State 74-72 Saturday night to snap a three-game skid.

Lukosius finished with 13 points. Day Day Thomas added 14 points, five assists and four steals and Jizzle James scored 10 for Cincinnati (17-12, 6-10 Big 12).

Jamille Reynolds converted a three-point play to give Cincinnati a 67-54 lead — matching the largest of the game — with 6:51 remaining. Tylor Perry answered with a 3-pointer 11 seconds later and added two free throws before he hit another 3 to cap a 10-0 run a little more than 2 minutes later. Carter was fouled on a 3-point shot and hit all three free throws to pull the Wildcats within two with 3:03 remaining and neither team scored again until Perry hit a straight-away 3 late in the shot clock that made it 72-71 with 1:16 left — Kansas State’s first lead since 8-5.

Neither team scored again until Lukosius came around a screen, caught a pass from James at hit the winner. Perry lost the ball out of bounds under the basket with 2.7 seconds to go and Newman was fouled with 1.7 left but missed the front end of a 1-and-1. Will McNair Jr. grabbed the rebound and called a timeout with 1.5 to go but the inbounds pass was deflected and rolled out of bounds as time expired.

Perry led the Wildcats with 26 points, including 17 in the second half. He made 7 of 10 from the field, 6 of 8 from 3-point range and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line. Jerrell Colbert added 15 points and Cam Carter scored 13.

Kansas State (17-12, 7-9) has lost eight of its last 11 games.

Colbert scored seven consecutive points for Kansas State capped by a dunk that made it 21-19 but the Bearcats scored 11 of the next 13. The Wildcats scored the final four points of the first half and the first four of the second to trim its deficit to 34-31 with 19 minutes to play but Newman scored nine points in a 13-4 run over the next 3 minutes.

The Bearcats are 8-1 all-time against Kansas State. The programs met seven times from 1958-68 and have played just twice since, the most recent coming when Cincinnati beat the Wildcats 75-61 in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament.

Kansas State visits No. 7 Kansas on Tuesday before wrapping up its regular season next Saturday at No. 8 Iowa State. Cincinnati plays Tuesday at Oklahoma and returns for its finale Saturday against West Virginia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709435009403.png" alt="K-State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>K-State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>CINCINNATI (AP) — John Newman III scored 13 of his 18 in the second half, Simas Lukosius hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 10.6 seconds left and Cincinnati blew a 13-point lead before beating Kansas State 74-72 Saturday night to snap a three-game skid.Lukosius finished with 13 points. Day Day Thomas added 14 points, five assists and four steals and Jizzle James scored 10 for Cincinnati (17-12, 6-10 Big 12).Jamille Reynolds converted a three-point play to give Cincinnati a 67-54 lead — matching the largest of the game — with 6:51 remaining. Tylor Perry answered with a 3-pointer 11 seconds later and added two free throws before he hit another 3 to cap a 10-0 run a little more than 2 minutes later. Carter was fouled on a 3-point shot and hit all three free throws to pull the Wildcats within two with 3:03 remaining and neither team scored again until Perry hit a straight-away 3 late in the shot clock that made it 72-71 with 1:16 left — Kansas State’s first lead since 8-5.Neither team scored again until Lukosius came around a screen, caught a pass from James at hit the winner. Perry lost the ball out of bounds under the basket with 2.7 seconds to go and Newman was fouled with 1.7 left but missed the front end of a 1-and-1. Will McNair Jr. grabbed the rebound and called a timeout with 1.5 to go but the inbounds pass was deflected and rolled out of bounds as time expired.Perry led the Wildcats with 26 points, including 17 in the second half. He made 7 of 10 from the field, 6 of 8 from 3-point range and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line. Jerrell Colbert added 15 points and Cam Carter scored 13.Kansas State (17-12, 7-9) has lost eight of its last 11 games.Colbert scored seven consecutive points for Kansas State capped by a dunk that made it 21-19 but the Bearcats scored 11 of the next 13. The Wildcats scored the final four points of the first half and the first four of the second to trim its deficit to 34-31 with 19 minutes to play but Newman scored nine points in a 13-4 run over the next 3 minutes.The Bearcats are 8-1 all-time against Kansas State. The programs met seven times from 1958-68 and have played just twice since, the most recent coming when Cincinnati beat the Wildcats 75-61 in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament.Kansas State visits No. 7 Kansas on Tuesday before wrapping up its regular season next Saturday at No. 8 Iowa State. Cincinnati plays Tuesday at Oklahoma and returns for its finale Saturday against West Virginia.

🏀 Simas Lukosius hits winning 3 as Cincinnati beats Kansas State

WACO, Texas (AP) — RayJ Dennis had 19 points and 10 assists, Jayden Nunn scored 18 points with consecutive fastbreak layups in a key run for No. 15 Baylor and the Bears beat seventh-ranked Kansas 82-74 on Saturday, handing the Jayhawks consecutive losses for the first time this season.

Yves Missi added 17 points and fellow freshman Ja'Kobe Walter had 11 for the Bears (21-8, 10-6 Big 12).

Nunn first drove the length of the court with 13:49 left after grabbing a defensive rebound. Then after 7-foot freshman Missi blocked a Kansas shot, Dennis passed ahead to a breaking Nunn for another layup. Those baskets 25 seconds apart ignited a 13-2 run that pushed Baylor's lead from one to 12 with 10 minutes left.

Big 12 scoring leader Kevin McCullar Jr., in his return to the lineup after missing four of the previous five games with a bone bruise in his knee, and Hunter Dickinson had 20 points each for Kansas (21-8, 9-7), which was coming off a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-byu-score-40b8e4f3cac4171a55f4a1df95452c20">76-68 loss at home to Big 12 newcomer BYU</a>. Dajuan Harris had 12 points and nine assists.

The Bears had their largest lead before halftime at 31-24 after Dennis made a 3-pointer with 3 1/2 minutes left, but they needed his jumper with 28 seconds left to lead 35-34 at the break.

Kansas went on a 10-2 spurt in between those baskets by Dennis. The Jayhawks' streak started with two nifty assists by Harris, including a give-and-go break with McCullar, who had a steal. Harris' floater put the Jayhawks up 34-33.

Kansas: This is the first time the Jayhawks have had seven conference losses during coach Bill Self's 21 seasons. They have to win one of their next two games (vs. Kansas State and at No. 1 Houston) to extend their record streak of winning conference records to 35 seasons in a row.

Baylor: The Bears are a national-best 32-15 against AP Top 25 opponents the past five seasons, and have won 13 of their last 18 against top 10 teams.

The Jayhawks scored 46 points in the paint, with 22 of those before halftime. The opening stretch included an emphatic two-handed dunk by Dickinson with just under six minutes left that gave him the last of his 10 points before the break. He scored Kansas’ first six points, including consecutive passes from Adams for a dunk and a layup.

Missi opened the scoring with a powerful dunk even with Adams’ hands in his face, and then did a spin move around Dickinson for a layup for their second basket.

Kansas' streak of 55 consecutive AP poll appearances in the top 10 will come to an end Monday, though the Jayhawks still will be ranked. That will leave top-ranked Houston with the longest active streak of top-10 appearances at 36 in a row.

Kansas is back home at Allen Fieldhouse to play Sunflower State rival Kansas State on Tuesday night. That comes after a week after the Jayhawks’ only home loss, to BYU.

Baylor has two games in a three-day stretch, in its home finale Monday night against Texas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709413044436.png" alt="Photo Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>WACO, Texas (AP) — RayJ Dennis had 19 points and 10 assists, Jayden Nunn scored 18 points with consecutive fastbreak layups in a key run for No. 15 Baylor and the Bears beat seventh-ranked Kansas 82-74 on Saturday, handing the Jayhawks consecutive losses for the first time this season.Yves Missi added 17 points and fellow freshman Ja'Kobe Walter had 11 for the Bears (21-8, 10-6 Big 12).Nunn first drove the length of the court with 13:49 left after grabbing a defensive rebound. Then after 7-foot freshman Missi blocked a Kansas shot, Dennis passed ahead to a breaking Nunn for another layup. Those baskets 25 seconds apart ignited a 13-2 run that pushed Baylor's lead from one to 12 with 10 minutes left.Big 12 scoring leader Kevin McCullar Jr., in his return to the lineup after missing four of the previous five games with a bone bruise in his knee, and Hunter Dickinson had 20 points each for Kansas (21-8, 9-7), which was coming off a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-byu-score-40b8e4f3cac4171a55f4a1df95452c20">76-68 loss at home to Big 12 newcomer BYU</a>. Dajuan Harris had 12 points and nine assists.The Bears had their largest lead before halftime at 31-24 after Dennis made a 3-pointer with 3 1/2 minutes left, but they needed his jumper with 28 seconds left to lead 35-34 at the break.Kansas went on a 10-2 spurt in between those baskets by Dennis. The Jayhawks' streak started with two nifty assists by Harris, including a give-and-go break with McCullar, who had a steal. Harris' floater put the Jayhawks up 34-33.BIG PICTUREKansas: This is the first time the Jayhawks have had seven conference losses during coach Bill Self's 21 seasons. They have to win one of their next two games (vs. Kansas State and at No. 1 Houston) to extend their record streak of winning conference records to 35 seasons in a row.Baylor: The Bears are a national-best 32-15 against AP Top 25 opponents the past five seasons, and have won 13 of their last 18 against top 10 teams.BIG INSIDEThe Jayhawks scored 46 points in the paint, with 22 of those before halftime. The opening stretch included an emphatic two-handed dunk by Dickinson with just under six minutes left that gave him the last of his 10 points before the break. He scored Kansas’ first six points, including consecutive passes from Adams for a dunk and a layup.Missi opened the scoring with a powerful dunk even with Adams’ hands in his face, and then did a spin move around Dickinson for a layup for their second basket.POLL IMPLICATIONSKansas' streak of 55 consecutive AP poll appearances in the top 10 will come to an end Monday, though the Jayhawks still will be ranked. That will leave top-ranked Houston with the longest active streak of top-10 appearances at 36 in a row.UP NEXTKansas is back home at Allen Fieldhouse to play Sunflower State rival Kansas State on Tuesday night. That comes after a week after the Jayhawks’ only home loss, to BYU.Baylor has two games in a three-day stretch, in its home finale Monday night against Texas.

🏀 Baylor led by Dennis and Nunn in win over Kansas

After pulling off the unthinkable and eliminating the three-time defending state champs in Hesston on Thursday, the Southeast of Saline boys’ basketball team will return to Gypsum tonight in search of one more win to punch their ticket to state.

Standing in their way is the 3-seed in Santa Fe Trail (13-8), who will once again act as the home team despite playing at Southeast of Saline (13-9).

Like Southeast, this year’s Chargers have done some of their best work in the postseason, thrashing Osage City 68-37 before squeaking by Burlington 57-56.

“Santa Fe Trail works through their big kid inside and they’ve got a few guys that can get downhill and shoot the basketball,” SES head coach Bryson Flax said. “They switch between zone and man but at this point it’s more about us being us and competing for 32 minutes.”

The Trojans meanwhile, have finally found their footing on the offensive end, dropping 70 or more three times in the last seven games, including in a confident quarterfinal win over Council Grove.

“We’re taking great shots right now and we’re finding out that if we go downhill with more purpose and control we get a lot more out of it,” Flax said. “Better shots at the rim, free throws, or better kick outs, we’ve just had more purpose offensively.”

While Southeast's offense has been firing on all cylinders of late, it’s the defense that’s continued to win them games, best punctuated in the gritty win over Hesston on Thursday.

“We’ll have to be good defensively again and we’re going to have to continue to ride that,” Flax said. “I’d like to see us take advantage of opportunities to push the ball against Santa Fe Trail and we have to defend and rebound at a high level.”

Tip-off between the Trojans and Chargers is set for 5:00 at Southeast of Saline High School.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697215856555.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>After pulling off the unthinkable and eliminating the three-time defending state champs in Hesston on Thursday, the Southeast of Saline boys’ basketball team will return to Gypsum tonight in search of one more win to punch their ticket to state.Standing in their way is the 3-seed in Santa Fe Trail (13-8), who will once again act as the home team despite playing at Southeast of Saline (13-9).Like Southeast, this year’s Chargers have done some of their best work in the postseason, thrashing Osage City 68-37 before squeaking by Burlington 57-56.“Santa Fe Trail works through their big kid inside and they’ve got a few guys that can get downhill and shoot the basketball,” SES head coach Bryson Flax said. “They switch between zone and man but at this point it’s more about us being us and competing for 32 minutes.”The Trojans meanwhile, have finally found their footing on the offensive end, dropping 70 or more three times in the last seven games, including in a confident quarterfinal win over Council Grove.“We’re taking great shots right now and we’re finding out that if we go downhill with more purpose and control we get a lot more out of it,” Flax said. “Better shots at the rim, free throws, or better kick outs, we’ve just had more purpose offensively.”While Southeast's offense has been firing on all cylinders of late, it’s the defense that’s continued to win them games, best punctuated in the gritty win over Hesston on Thursday.“We’ll have to be good defensively again and we’re going to have to continue to ride that,” Flax said. “I’d like to see us take advantage of opportunities to push the ball against Santa Fe Trail and we have to defend and rebound at a high level.”Tip-off between the Trojans and Chargers is set for 5:00 at Southeast of Saline High School.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cjz3VQ9tqSs"></iframe>
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 </figure>

Southeast Squares Off With Santa Fe Trail Seeking State Berth

The second-seeded Coyotes play third-seeded and No. 9-ranked Southwestern in the semifinals of the Kansas Conference Tournament.

SATURDAY'S GAME Opponent: Southwestern Moundbuilders Time: 7 p.m. Location: Mabee Arena

The second-seeded Coyotes play third-seeded and No. 9-ranked Southwestern in the semifinals of the Kansas Conference Tournament.SATURDAY'S GAME Opponent: Southwestern Moundbuilders Time: 7 p.m. Location: Mabee ArenaLIVE COVERAGE<ul>
 <li>The video stream of the game will be available online through the Coyote Sports Network at&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/963953e9-f1ee-429a-a54f-06e9e2f98db6?elinkdata=6371" target="_blank">www.kcacnetwork.com/kansaswesleyan</a>.</li><li>Live Stats will be available at&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/69b1ab9a-bddd-4863-abf4-fe4df4f22506?elinkdata=6371" target="_blank">https://kwucoyotes.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary</a></li><li>Radio coverage can be heard locally on KINA 910 AM/107.5 FM, and online at Salina Post. The online stream is also available at&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8ff45a93-9541-4d1a-b308-a45dc28c8d72?elinkdata=6371" target="_blank">https://radio.securenetsystems.net/ce/kina2</a>. Tyler Henry will have the call with pregame starting at 6:30</li>
 </ul>TICKETS<ul>
 <li>Tickets for the KCAC tournament are on sale now at&nbsp;<a href="http://kcacsports.com/" target="_blank">kcacsports.com</a>&nbsp;--&gt;&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7d9dbe82-47d4-4633-80ed-ddbdde885c28?elinkdata=6371" target="_blank">GET TICKETS HERE</a></li><li>This is a no pass event, per KCAC policy</li><li>All tickets must be purchased online, there will be no on-site ticket sales, KWU ticket staff will be available to help with ticket sales at the door, but there will be no cash sales</li>
 </ul>RECORDS<ul>
 <li>Kansas Wesleyan 22-7</li><li>Southwestern 24-4</li>
 </ul>THE SERIES<ul>
 <li>Each team has won 20 games since January 2006 but the Coyotes have won the last five. KWU won a pair of thrillers earlier this season - 96-92 January 3 in Winfield and 96-93 in overtime February 17 in Mabee Arena.</li>
 </ul>KANSAS WESLEYAN AT A GLANCE<ul>
 <li>KWU advanced with a 75-69 quarterfinal victory over seventh-seeded Ottawa on Thursday night in Mabee Arena. Five Coyotes scored in double figures led by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c6d25a8e-8057-4ac1-a715-8976d2c45b5b?elinkdata=6371" target="_blank">Caden Hale</a>&nbsp;with 18 off the bench.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/814a1187-62d8-43c0-9e42-0d86ff23056d?elinkdata=6371" target="_blank">Jun Murdock</a>&nbsp;had 14,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ef2517a6-f4a7-4157-805c-d5c574a04561?elinkdata=6371" target="_blank">Alex Littlejohn</a>&nbsp;12 and 14 rebounds and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2063e189-b95f-47c6-bdba-ab20c502ea2d?elinkdata=6371" target="_blank">Thurbil Bile</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c12e7870-1113-4f19-b205-560b7c080d15?elinkdata=6371" target="_blank">Izaiah Hale</a>&nbsp;scored 10 each. KWU led 73-60 with 3:25 left but a 9-0 Ottawa run closed the gap to 73-69. A Bile dunk with 39.3 seconds left was the game's final points.</li><li>The Coyotes have won four in a row and six of their last seven including the second victory over Southwestern. KWU trailed 80-70 with under four minutes left but rallied to force OT. Murdock scored 35 points and Littlejohn had 31 and 14 rebounds. In the first game in Winfield Littlejohn had 31 points and 13 rebounds, Murdock 18 points and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9ba9a69a-936a-484e-856d-17875b363893?elinkdata=6371" target="_blank">Easton Hunter</a>&nbsp;17.</li><li>Wesleyan is 12-8 at home against Southwestern since January 2006. The Coyotes have a 6-4 advantage over the last 10 games.</li><li>Murdock and Littlejohn were named to the All-KCAC First Team earlier this week and Murdock was on the All-Defensive Team. Bile and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8f2a03e2-7757-4120-a474-ecc1d44ff92b?elinkdata=6371" target="_blank">Izaiah Hale</a>&nbsp;were named Honorable Mention.</li><li>Murdock leads the team in scoring (18.1) followed by Littlejohn (16.7),&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/62b2f38b-dc49-4240-b834-5a3e06f69de1?elinkdata=6371" target="_blank">Izaiah Hale</a>&nbsp;(10.7) and Bile (10.0). Bile is shooting 64.6 percent from the field and Littlejohn 54.5 percent. Littlejohn is the leading rebounder (11.1) and ranks fifth in the NAIA.</li><li>The Coyotes average 82 points, are shooting 47 percent, 33.6 percent from long distance and are averaging 11.3 turnovers. Opponents average 75 points and are shooting 42.7 percent, 30.6 percent from deep.</li>
 </ul>SOUTHWESTERN AT A GLANCE<ul>
 <li>The Moundbuilders defeated McPherson 93-79 in their quarterfinal game Thursday in Winfield. Southwestern led 52-33 at halftime and was paced Cevin Clark's 35 points. Jarvis Jennings added 18.</li><li>Clark, a senior guard from Arkansas City, leads the NAIA in scoring with is 26.8 average. He scored 22 in the first game against KWU and 38 in the second. He has surpassed the 30-point plateau nine times this season and was named the KCAC's Player of the Year earlier this week. He shoots 48.5 percent overall, 38.5 percent from deep and 83 percent from the foul line.</li><li>Junior guard Justin DeMaria averages 13.1 points and senior forward Andrew O'Brien 10.3 and a team-best 8.4 rebounds.</li><li>Southwestern scores an average of 90 points and allows 72. The Moundbuilders shoot 48 percent overall, 38 percent from the 3-point line, and are outrebounding their opponents by just 12 per contest. They also average 9.5 turnovers.</li>
 </ul>

Coyotes host Southwestern in KCAC Semifinals on KINA

No. 4-seeded Kansas Wesleyan plays top-seeded Tabor in the semifinals of the Kansas Conference Tournament.

SATURDAY'S GAME Opponent: Tabor Bluejays Time: 2 p.m. Location: Hillsboro

No. 4-seeded Kansas Wesleyan plays top-seeded Tabor in the semifinals of the Kansas Conference Tournament.SATURDAY'S GAME Opponent: Tabor Bluejays Time: 2 p.m. Location: HillsboroLIVE COVERAGE<ul>
 <li>The video stream of the game will be available online through the Coyote Sports Network at&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6b099eb2-4be9-4971-aa1a-2c6c5571ccf4?elinkdata=6348" target="_blank">www.kcacnetwork.com/kansaswesleyan</a>.</li><li>Live Stats will be available at&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/104546b5-1f98-4b96-be4b-18eff72e1d62?elinkdata=6348" target="_blank">https://kwucoyotes.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary</a></li><li>Radio coverage can be heard locally on KINA 910 AM/107.5 FM, and online at Salina Post. The online stream is also available at&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2a33c9d7-3b67-4862-93ad-e3094434a840?elinkdata=6348" target="_blank">https://radio.securenetsystems.net/ce/kina2</a>. Tyler Henry will have the call with pregame starting at 6:30</li>
 </ul>TICKETS<ul>
 <li>Tickets for the KCAC tournament are on sale now at&nbsp;<a href="http://kcacsports.com/" target="_blank">kcacsports.com</a>&nbsp;--&gt;&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8c7ed44f-6651-4726-a8fe-f221f82ab9f7?elinkdata=6348" target="_blank">GET TICKETS HERE</a></li><li>This is a no pass event, per KCAC policy</li><li>All tickets must be purchased online, there will be no on-site ticket sales, KWU ticket staff will be available to help with ticket sales at the door, but there will be no cash sales</li>
 </ul>RECORDS<ul>
 <li>Kansas Wesleyan 17-12</li><li>Tabor 25-4</li>
 </ul>THE SERIES<ul>
 <li>Tabor has won the last two games and five of the last six. The Bluejays defeated the Coyotes 77-61 January 6 in Salina in the first game this season and 86-38 February 21 in Hillsboro in the second. KWU's last victory was February 15, 2023, in Mabee Arena (62-61). Tabor has a 23-18 lead in the series since February 2006.</li>
 </ul>KANSAS WESLEYAN AT A GLANCE<ul>
 <li>The Coyotes defeated fifth-seeded Evangel 81-72 in the quarterfinals Wednesday night inside Mabee Arena. It was their seventh victory in their last nine games. Freshman point guard&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/38fa5b2d-05e1-478d-845c-5c0fb113364b?elinkdata=6348" target="_blank">Odessa Ozuna</a>&nbsp;led the way with 16 points off the bench - 12 in the final 5½ minutes of the game that included nine consecutive points in a 1:36 minute span. KWU outscored the Valor 11-4 the final 2:48.</li><li><a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b881cabb-0386-40bc-90f7-09b46ac2f781?elinkdata=6348" target="_blank">Daijane Adams</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a3acb1a5-fb3f-4913-b1b8-5187f209be17?elinkdata=6348" target="_blank">Jill Stephens</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bef087b0-b7c4-4715-b690-3787c3cfe150?elinkdata=6348" target="_blank">LaMyah Ricks</a>&nbsp;each scored 11 as the Coyotes shot 43.6 percent and were 11 of 23 from 3-point range. They have made 28 3-pointers in their last two games after going 17 of 42 in the regular-season finale against York that included 10 in the fourth quarter.</li><li>The Coyotes had a tough night shooting the ball in their last game against Tabor going 12 of 54 from the field (22.2 percent) overall, 3 of 19 from 3-point range.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b635d4c0-8ced-4675-b5ef-b9a415e7030d?elinkdata=6348" target="_blank">Angel Lee</a>&nbsp;scored 11 points and Stephens nine.</li><li>Ricks leads the team in scoring (11.3) followed by Stephens (11.1). Stephens is the top rebounder (5.1) and is shooting 39 percent from beyond the 3-point line (72 of 185). Lee averages 9.7 points but has been on a tear of late - 14.5 over her last six games.</li><li>The Coyotes average 68.6 points and allow 68.9. They're shooting 38 percent overall, 32 percent from the 3-point line. They're outrebounding their opponents by 1.3 per game and average 16.7 turnovers.</li><li>Ricks was named All-KCAC Second Team earlier this week. Stephens was Honorable Mention and Ozuna was on the All-Freshman Team.</li>
 </ul>TABOR AT A GLANCE<ul>
 <li>The Bluejays routed Bethel 67-39 the quarterfinals Wednesday night in Hillsboro. Bethel shot 27.5 percent overall (14 of 51) and was 2 of 11 from deep. It was Tabor's 13th&nbsp;consecutive victory.</li><li>Defense is Tabor's hallmark. The Bluejays allow 54.4 points per game which ranks seventh in the NAIA. Their last five opponents scored 48 points or less; the most points they have given up this season was 78 against College of the Ozarks in their season opener. Opposing teams are shooting 37.7 percent which includes 26.5 percent from long distance.</li><li>Tabor averages 68 points and is shooting 45 percent overall, 37.3 percent beyond long range. The Bluejays average 13.4 turnovers.</li><li>Senior forward Alyvia Owens leads a balanced offensive attack (11.0 points per game). Junior guard Kassidy Beam is next (8.3) then freshman guard Lillie Veer (8.0).</li><li>Alicia Baker led Tabor with 13 points off the bench in the game against KWU last week. The Bluejays shot 62.5 percent (35 of 56) including 8 of 14 beyond the arc.</li>
 </ul>

KWU WBB to face top seeded Tabor in KCAC Semifinals on KINA

With the exception of a few loyalists wearing purple and white on Thursday night, the entire state of Kansas counted Southeast of Saline out in their semifinal matchup with Hesston.

The three-time defending 3A state champs were the top seed in the bracket, came in with a pristine 17-3 record, and had already dominated Southeast once in a 49-32 season opener victory.

Some already had the Swathers penciled in for a final with Santa Fe Trail on Saturday.

“We haven’t been in this position for a few years where nobody expects us to win,” SES head coach Bryson Flax said. “Nobody expected us to compete with the upper-echelon teams in the state but our guys didn’t listen to any of that, they believe they belong and that can be dangerous.”

This game was a dogfight right from the start, and Hesston delivered the first punch, taking a 12-3 lead off the starting line, but the Trojans battled back to cut the lead to two at the end of the first quarter.

Amidst a second-quarter run, with 3:31 remaining in the half Owen Bailey splashed a three from the left wing to give the Trojans their first lead since the opening minutes and Southeast slammed the gas to take a nine-point lead into the break.

“We knew at halftime that they weren’t going away,” Flax said. “It’s embedded in their program that those guys are winners but I thought we did a good job of staying the course and battling on every possession in the second half.”

Southeast tightened the screws defensively in the third quarter, holding Hesston to just three made field goals and extending their lead to ten, a lead they would hold on to win by at the final buzzer.

“We told the guys that every possession was going to be a battle and you have to win more of those than Hesston does,” Flax said. “We started off a little slow and a little soft but once we settled in man we competed and it was so fun to see those guys battle for four quarters.”

Six different Trojans recorded a bucket in the win, led by Gannon Jacobson (16), Owen Bailey (12), Daniel Kejr (9) and Omar Calzada (9).

On the other side Adrian Hernandez (14) and Jackson Fry (10) were the leading scorers for the Swathers, but it wasn’t enough as Hesston’s season draws to a close at 18-4.

The Trojans meanwhile, move to 13-9, and earn a date with Santa Fe Trail in the sub-state championship game on their own home floor this Saturday.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697215856555.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>With the exception of a few loyalists wearing purple and white on Thursday night, the entire state of Kansas counted Southeast of Saline out in their semifinal matchup with Hesston.The three-time defending 3A state champs were the top seed in the bracket, came in with a pristine 17-3 record, and had already dominated Southeast once in a 49-32 season opener victory.Some already had the Swathers penciled in for a final with Santa Fe Trail on Saturday.The Trojans had other plans.“We haven’t been in this position for a few years where nobody expects us to win,” SES head coach Bryson Flax said. “Nobody expected us to compete with the upper-echelon teams in the state but our guys didn’t listen to any of that, they believe they belong and that can be dangerous.”This game was a dogfight right from the start, and Hesston delivered the first punch, taking a 12-3 lead off the starting line, but the Trojans battled back to cut the lead to two at the end of the first quarter.Amidst a second-quarter run, with 3:31 remaining in the half Owen Bailey splashed a three from the left wing to give the Trojans their first lead since the opening minutes and Southeast slammed the gas to take a nine-point lead into the break.“We knew at halftime that they weren’t going away,” Flax said. “It’s embedded in their program that those guys are winners but I thought we did a good job of staying the course and battling on every possession in the second half.”Southeast tightened the screws defensively in the third quarter, holding Hesston to just three made field goals and extending their lead to ten, a lead they would hold on to win by at the final buzzer.“We told the guys that every possession was going to be a battle and you have to win more of those than Hesston does,” Flax said. “We started off a little slow and a little soft but once we settled in man we competed and it was so fun to see those guys battle for four quarters.”Six different Trojans recorded a bucket in the win, led by Gannon Jacobson (16), Owen Bailey (12), Daniel Kejr (9) and Omar Calzada (9).On the other side Adrian Hernandez (14) and Jackson Fry (10) were the leading scorers for the Swathers, but it wasn’t enough as Hesston’s season draws to a close at 18-4.The Trojans meanwhile, move to 13-9, and earn a date with Santa Fe Trail in the sub-state championship game on their own home floor this Saturday.

Trojans Shock Swathers in Semifinal Upset

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6895af13-c79a-4c2a-aab9-b7451ff9f132?elinkdata=6302" target="_blank">Caden Hale's</a>&nbsp;success shooting the basketball boils down to one simple factor.

"I'm one of those players if I see one shot go in, I'm going to shoot a bunch more shots," he said.

Several shots have gone in of late, most notably Thursday night in Kansas Wesleyan's quarterfinal game against Ottawa in the Kansas Conference Tournament. After going 1 of 2 shooting in the first half Hale made his first attempt early in the second half and the flood gates opened.

He scored 16 points on 6 of 8 shooting the final 20 minutes and the Coyotes fended off OU's late rally in a 75-69 victory inside Mabee Arena.

Second-seeded KWU (22-7) advances to the semifinals and a rematch with third-seeded and No. 9-ranked Southwestern at 7 p.m. Saturday in Mabee Arena. The Moundbuilders (24-4) eliminated sixth-seeded McPherson 93-79 Thursday in Winfield.

Hale, who was 7 of 10 shooting and finished with a team-high 18 points, credited his teammates for helping him succeed.

"They always give me confidence coming off the bench," he said. "We had other guys on the bench that stepped up and I knew towards the end it was my time.

"Don't know if I'm coming back next year yet so I'm just going out there with the 'going to have fun mentality' at this point."

Four other Coyotes also scored in double figures.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4a2d2a69-eb60-4673-9560-13d91ec44d84?elinkdata=6302" target="_blank">Jun Murdock</a>&nbsp;had 14 and five assists,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e461a1e5-419c-4930-89e0-b17f5f0f7f30?elinkdata=6302" target="_blank">Alex Littlejohn</a>&nbsp;12 and 14 rebounds and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9574b555-a961-49c0-bf6c-2d3655ec245c?elinkdata=6302" target="_blank">Thurbil Bile</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3f66f8e8-3a7b-4587-8e82-4632f745ccf4?elinkdata=6302" target="_blank">Izaiah Hale</a>&nbsp;scored 10 each. Bile also had seven rebounds, five assists and four blocks.

"Hitting his first shot is the recipe for success," KWU coach&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/20973d52-eb57-42b5-b2d6-c0c49de12e91?elinkdata=6302" target="_blank">Anthony Monson</a>&nbsp;said of Hale. "Guys, especially guards, see that ball go in the basket and it's a comfort deal.

"A guy like Alex knows he's going to play a lot and knows he has unlimited opportunities. Caden knows he sometimes has got limited opportunities and he made the most of them tonight. ... Hats off to him for being ready to go."

KWU defeated Ottawa (16-13) the third time this season but it was not easy. The Coyotes led 36-33 at halftime and opened the second with a 16-7 run that made it 52-40 with 13:40 left.

They seemed to have things under control leading 73-60 with 3:25 remaining but the Braves made it interesting with a 9-0 surge and trailed 73-69 with 56.6 seconds left.

Bile's dunk with 39.3 seconds left after KWU broke through Ottawa's full-court pressure stopped the bleeding and were the game's final two points.

OU missed its last five shots, and the Coyotes couldn't connect on the front end of three one-and-one free throw chances the final 1:37.

Monson's pointed to his team's work on the defensive end as the key in the second half.

"(Jayden) Hibbitt only scored five points in the second half and he had nine at halftime," he said. "(Deondre) Buggage was 9 for 26 (shooting) and that's the recipe with high-volume scorers. You don't necessarily slow them down; you just want to find ways to make them work and I thought we did a good job of that."

Monson was not pleased with his team's effort in the first half.

"We challenged our guys pretty well at halftime," he said. "We were being a little lackadaisical. There were a couple of sets they ran especially on inbounds plays where they actually just walked through us after we fell asleep."

Hale said everything the Coyotes' do is predicated on their defense.

"When we get stops and are able to run, get some easy buckets it gives us a lot of momentum," he said. "We're at our best when we're scoring in transition. In playoff basketball it's hard to run halfcourt sets and survive."

KWU shot 51.6 percent the second half (16 of 31) and 47.7 percent for the game (31 of 65) including 7 of 21 from long distance. Ottawa shot 39.2 percent for the game (29 of 74). Buggage led the Braves with 21 points followed by Hibbitt's 14.

The Coyotes will be seeking their third victory this season over Southwestern on Saturday but know it won't be easy.

"We don't like them, they don't like us," Hale said. "It's a good matchup, we always have fun playing them. We need to play with the confidence that we usually play with."

"It's two really good teams, two (NAIA) national tournament teams going head-to-head," Monson said. "We've just got to find a way to be one point better."

The winner advances to the championship game Monday night inside Hartman Arena in Park City.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6895af13-c79a-4c2a-aab9-b7451ff9f132?elinkdata=6302" target="_blank">Caden Hale's</a>&nbsp;success shooting the basketball boils down to one simple factor."I'm one of those players if I see one shot go in, I'm going to shoot a bunch more shots," he said.Several shots have gone in of late, most notably Thursday night in Kansas Wesleyan's quarterfinal game against Ottawa in the Kansas Conference Tournament. After going 1 of 2 shooting in the first half Hale made his first attempt early in the second half and the flood gates opened.He scored 16 points on 6 of 8 shooting the final 20 minutes and the Coyotes fended off OU's late rally in a 75-69 victory inside Mabee Arena.Second-seeded KWU (22-7) advances to the semifinals and a rematch with third-seeded and No. 9-ranked Southwestern at 7 p.m. Saturday in Mabee Arena. The Moundbuilders (24-4) eliminated sixth-seeded McPherson 93-79 Thursday in Winfield.Hale, who was 7 of 10 shooting and finished with a team-high 18 points, credited his teammates for helping him succeed."They always give me confidence coming off the bench," he said. "We had other guys on the bench that stepped up and I knew towards the end it was my time."Don't know if I'm coming back next year yet so I'm just going out there with the 'going to have fun mentality' at this point."Four other Coyotes also scored in double figures.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4a2d2a69-eb60-4673-9560-13d91ec44d84?elinkdata=6302" target="_blank">Jun Murdock</a>&nbsp;had 14 and five assists,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e461a1e5-419c-4930-89e0-b17f5f0f7f30?elinkdata=6302" target="_blank">Alex Littlejohn</a>&nbsp;12 and 14 rebounds and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9574b555-a961-49c0-bf6c-2d3655ec245c?elinkdata=6302" target="_blank">Thurbil Bile</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3f66f8e8-3a7b-4587-8e82-4632f745ccf4?elinkdata=6302" target="_blank">Izaiah Hale</a>&nbsp;scored 10 each. Bile also had seven rebounds, five assists and four blocks."Hitting his first shot is the recipe for success," KWU coach&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/20973d52-eb57-42b5-b2d6-c0c49de12e91?elinkdata=6302" target="_blank">Anthony Monson</a>&nbsp;said of Hale. "Guys, especially guards, see that ball go in the basket and it's a comfort deal."A guy like Alex knows he's going to play a lot and knows he has unlimited opportunities. Caden knows he sometimes has got limited opportunities and he made the most of them tonight. ... Hats off to him for being ready to go."KWU defeated Ottawa (16-13) the third time this season but it was not easy. The Coyotes led 36-33 at halftime and opened the second with a 16-7 run that made it 52-40 with 13:40 left.They seemed to have things under control leading 73-60 with 3:25 remaining but the Braves made it interesting with a 9-0 surge and trailed 73-69 with 56.6 seconds left.Bile's dunk with 39.3 seconds left after KWU broke through Ottawa's full-court pressure stopped the bleeding and were the game's final two points.OU missed its last five shots, and the Coyotes couldn't connect on the front end of three one-and-one free throw chances the final 1:37.Monson's pointed to his team's work on the defensive end as the key in the second half."(Jayden) Hibbitt only scored five points in the second half and he had nine at halftime," he said. "(Deondre) Buggage was 9 for 26 (shooting) and that's the recipe with high-volume scorers. You don't necessarily slow them down; you just want to find ways to make them work and I thought we did a good job of that."Monson was not pleased with his team's effort in the first half."We challenged our guys pretty well at halftime," he said. "We were being a little lackadaisical. There were a couple of sets they ran especially on inbounds plays where they actually just walked through us after we fell asleep."Hale said everything the Coyotes' do is predicated on their defense."When we get stops and are able to run, get some easy buckets it gives us a lot of momentum," he said. "We're at our best when we're scoring in transition. In playoff basketball it's hard to run halfcourt sets and survive."KWU shot 51.6 percent the second half (16 of 31) and 47.7 percent for the game (31 of 65) including 7 of 21 from long distance. Ottawa shot 39.2 percent for the game (29 of 74). Buggage led the Braves with 21 points followed by Hibbitt's 14.The Coyotes will be seeking their third victory this season over Southwestern on Saturday but know it won't be easy."We don't like them, they don't like us," Hale said. "It's a good matchup, we always have fun playing them. We need to play with the confidence that we usually play with.""It's two really good teams, two (NAIA) national tournament teams going head-to-head," Monson said. "We've just got to find a way to be one point better."The winner advances to the championship game Monday night inside Hartman Arena in Park City.

Hale, Coyotes outlast Ottawa advance to KCAC Semifinals vs Southwestern on Saturday

That’s the number Rocelyn Show has knocked down during her three years on the lanes competing as a member of the Salina Central bowling team.

On Friday, Rocelyn will travel to Wichita for the big one, as the Mustang senior prepares to compete in one last 5A state bowling tournament before graduation this spring.

Whether she returns to Salina with hardware in hand or not, Show has already etched her name into the Mustang record books in a career with numbers straight out of a simulation.

Before the final competition on March 1st, Show sits as the all-time leader in bowling average (200) and holds the single-season records for total pins (6,587) and single-season high-series (678).

Despite being a member of the team for just three years, she also ranks second in total career pins at Central, just 4,000 off all-time leader Cheyenne O’Connor.

All of this built to an excellent performance at regionals last week, where Show finished fourth in Hutch as the only participant of the 66 in play to bowl 200 or better in two of her three games.

While all of this is impressive on its own, the coll-bound athlete will also be in search of some redemption this Friday, after suffering a knee injury in her first game at state a season ago.

Show will get her chance when the lanes open at Bowlero Northrock in Wichita at 1:15 PM.

Results of this year’s 5A KSHSAA state bowling competition can be found <a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/Public/Bowling/State.cfm">here</a>.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697215856555.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>17,727 pins.That’s the number Rocelyn Show has knocked down during her three years on the lanes competing as a member of the Salina Central bowling team.On Friday, Rocelyn will travel to Wichita for the big one, as the Mustang senior prepares to compete in one last 5A state bowling tournament before graduation this spring.Whether she returns to Salina with hardware in hand or not, Show has already etched her name into the Mustang record books in a career with numbers straight out of a simulation.Before the final competition on March 1st, Show sits as the all-time leader in bowling average (200) and holds the single-season records for total pins (6,587) and single-season high-series (678).Despite being a member of the team for just three years, she also ranks second in total career pins at Central, just 4,000 off all-time leader Cheyenne O’Connor.All of this built to an excellent performance at regionals last week, where Show finished fourth in Hutch as the only participant of the 66 in play to bowl 200 or better in two of her three games.While all of this is impressive on its own, the coll-bound athlete will also be in search of some redemption this Friday, after suffering a knee injury in her first game at state a season ago.Show will get her chance when the lanes open at Bowlero Northrock in Wichita at 1:15 PM.Results of this year’s 5A KSHSAA state bowling competition can be found <a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/Public/Bowling/State.cfm">here</a>.

Show Looks to Cap Off Impressive Career at 5A State Bowling Competition

Kansas- The Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association (KWCA) has announced the high school senior wrestlers who have accepted their invitation to take the mat in the inaugural KWCA Kansas Shrine Duals.&nbsp; 

The wrestlers who were selected, and accepted their invitation, will compete during the KWCA Kansas Shrine Duals on Sunday, March 17th, 2024 at Fugate Gymnasium on the campus of Newman University in Wichita, Kansas. Gates open at 2:30 pm and the opening ceremonies will begin at 3:15 pm.

That list includes Chase Johnson (118) from Minneapolis and Tucker Cell (157) from Abilene.

Tickets and advertising opportunities are available at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasshrineduals.com/" target="_blank">www.KansasShrineDuals.com</a>.

The KWCA and the Shrine Bowl of Kansas, Inc came together to create the Kansas Shrine Duals as a senior all-star wrestling event for a cause. 

The Kansas Shrine Duals will look to create the same level of impact and awareness for Shriners Children’s Hospitals that the 50-year traditions of the Kansas Shrine Bowl have established. All net proceeds from the Shrine Bowl of Kansas, Inc events benefit Shriners Children’s.

“We’re excited to bring the wrestling community of Kansas together to showcase some of the top talent in the state while making a genuine impact on the lives of children,” said Brice Kesler, Executive Director of the Shrine Bowl of Kansas, Inc. 

Visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasshrineduals.com/" target="_blank">www.KansasShrineDuals.com</a>for tickets and opportunities to show your support for your favorite all-stars and help be a part of the cause.

All Shrine Bowl of Kansas, Inc. events are produced and presented to benefit Shriners Children’s. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity that produces annual events and related activities, with net proceeds benefiting Shriners Children’s. 

Shriners Children’s is a health care system of 22 hospitals dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing pediatric specialty care, innovative research, and outstanding teaching programs for medical professionals. 

Children up to the age of 18 are eligible for care and receive all services in a family-centered environment, regardless of the patients' ability to pay.

Kansas- The Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association (KWCA) has announced the high school senior wrestlers who have accepted their invitation to take the mat in the inaugural KWCA Kansas Shrine Duals.&nbsp; The wrestlers who were selected, and accepted their invitation, will compete during the KWCA Kansas Shrine Duals on Sunday, March 17th, 2024 at Fugate Gymnasium on the campus of Newman University in Wichita, Kansas. Gates open at 2:30 pm and the opening ceremonies will begin at 3:15 pm.That list includes Chase Johnson (118) from Minneapolis and Tucker Cell (157) from Abilene.Tickets and advertising opportunities are available at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasshrineduals.com/" target="_blank">www.KansasShrineDuals.com</a>.The KWCA and the Shrine Bowl of Kansas, Inc came together to create the Kansas Shrine Duals as a senior all-star wrestling event for a cause. The Kansas Shrine Duals will look to create the same level of impact and awareness for Shriners Children’s Hospitals that the 50-year traditions of the Kansas Shrine Bowl have established. All net proceeds from the Shrine Bowl of Kansas, Inc events benefit Shriners Children’s.“We’re excited to bring the wrestling community of Kansas together to showcase some of the top talent in the state while making a genuine impact on the lives of children,” said Brice Kesler, Executive Director of the Shrine Bowl of Kansas, Inc. Visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasshrineduals.com/" target="_blank">www.KansasShrineDuals.com</a>for tickets and opportunities to show your support for your favorite all-stars and help be a part of the cause.All Shrine Bowl of Kansas, Inc. events are produced and presented to benefit Shriners Children’s. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity that produces annual events and related activities, with net proceeds benefiting Shriners Children’s. Shriners Children’s is a health care system of 22 hospitals dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing pediatric specialty care, innovative research, and outstanding teaching programs for medical professionals. Children up to the age of 18 are eligible for care and receive all services in a family-centered environment, regardless of the patients' ability to pay.

Two Local Wrestlers Selected to Participate in KWCA KS Shrine Duals

After knocking off Council Grove in the 3A sub-state quarterfinals, the Southeast of Saline boys’ basketball team will return to Gypsum for their biggest test yet, as the Trojans look to unseat the defending state-champion Hesston Swathers.

Despite playing in their home gym, the 4-seeded Trojans (12-9) will be the road team in this matchup, playing host to the top seed in Hesston (18-3) who throttled Smoky Valley 66-37 in their quarterfinal.

This will be the second meeting between the two sides as the Swathers defeated Southeast 49-32 in the season opener back in December, but a lot has changed for both teams since that early winter battle.

“I don’t know that it made a 17-point difference the first night but we were without Connor Caselman and we had a few guys four practices into the season because of football season,” SES head coach Bryson Flax said. “I think we’re far different than we were in that first meeting but Hesston has gotten a lot better as well.”

That matchup was just the first in a gauntlet for Southeast of Saline that saw the Trojans tangle with state-ranked foes in nine different matchups this year, and helped set the tone for future games like this one.

“There’s a real rivalry with Hesston and I think the best thing our boy’s basketball program has done has been to start the season with them,” Flax said. “You know what you’re going to get with them, they scrap, they’re physical, and it’s a really good early-season test to see where you’re at as a team.”

While the Swathers can explode offensively, showcased in five 60+ point performances this season, where Hesston really shines is on the defensive end, where they have held 16 of their 21 opponents to under 40 points on the year.

“They make it really difficult for you to get shots and they’re okay with grinding out a game in the 40s if that’s what it takes,” he said. “Offensively they earn extra opportunities on the glass and they don’t shoot a lot of threes but the Reed Freisen kid is a lot better than a lot of people realize, he’s efficient and he’s a difficult guy to guard.”

In order to slay this goliath, Southeast will need to be locked in offensively, and be willing to do the dirty work on the glass to deny the Swathers extra possessions on both ends of the floor.

“We can’t turn the ball over in a game like this and we have to be good on the glass,” Flax said. “Offensively we have to find ways to take and make good shots and those are hard to come by but with a little patience offensively I think we can get the shots we want.”

Tip-off between the Swathers and Trojans is set for 7:00 at Southeast of Saline High School. As always the game can be heard on KINA or streamed with live audio and video on the Salina Post.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697215856555.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>After knocking off Council Grove in the 3A sub-state quarterfinals, the Southeast of Saline boys’ basketball team will return to Gypsum for their biggest test yet, as the Trojans look to unseat the defending state-champion Hesston Swathers.Despite playing in their home gym, the 4-seeded Trojans (12-9) will be the road team in this matchup, playing host to the top seed in Hesston (18-3) who throttled Smoky Valley 66-37 in their quarterfinal.This will be the second meeting between the two sides as the Swathers defeated Southeast 49-32 in the season opener back in December, but a lot has changed for both teams since that early winter battle.“I don’t know that it made a 17-point difference the first night but we were without Connor Caselman and we had a few guys four practices into the season because of football season,” SES head coach Bryson Flax said. “I think we’re far different than we were in that first meeting but Hesston has gotten a lot better as well.”That matchup was just the first in a gauntlet for Southeast of Saline that saw the Trojans tangle with state-ranked foes in nine different matchups this year, and helped set the tone for future games like this one.“There’s a real rivalry with Hesston and I think the best thing our boy’s basketball program has done has been to start the season with them,” Flax said. “You know what you’re going to get with them, they scrap, they’re physical, and it’s a really good early-season test to see where you’re at as a team.”While the Swathers can explode offensively, showcased in five 60+ point performances this season, where Hesston really shines is on the defensive end, where they have held 16 of their 21 opponents to under 40 points on the year.“They make it really difficult for you to get shots and they’re okay with grinding out a game in the 40s if that’s what it takes,” he said. “Offensively they earn extra opportunities on the glass and they don’t shoot a lot of threes but the Reed Freisen kid is a lot better than a lot of people realize, he’s efficient and he’s a difficult guy to guard.”In order to slay this goliath, Southeast will need to be locked in offensively, and be willing to do the dirty work on the glass to deny the Swathers extra possessions on both ends of the floor.“We can’t turn the ball over in a game like this and we have to be good on the glass,” Flax said. “Offensively we have to find ways to take and make good shots and those are hard to come by but with a little patience offensively I think we can get the shots we want.”Tip-off between the Swathers and Trojans is set for 7:00 at Southeast of Saline High School. As always the game can be heard on KINA or streamed with live audio and video on the Salina Post.<figure>
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Trojans Return to Gypsum to Tangle With Defending State Champs

The smallest player on the court made the biggest impact and as a result the Kansas Wesleyan women's basketball season is still alive.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a0014f57-6959-40d8-ace6-d1da750a9b33?elinkdata=6256" target="_blank">Odessa Ozuna</a>, a 5-foot-3 freshman point guard, scored 12 of her 16 points the final 5½ minutes of the game and propelled the Coyotes to an 81-72 come-from-behind victory over Evangel in a quarterfinal game of the Kansas Conference Tournament on Wednesday night inside Mabee Arena.

The fourth-seeded Coyotes (17-12) move on to the semifinals and a game against top-seeded Tabor at 2 p.m. Saturday in Hillsboro. The Bluejays (25-4) routed eighth-seeded Bethel 67-39 in their quarterfinal contest Wednesday in Hillsboro.

Tied at 64-64 Ozuna scored on a layup, was fouled, and made the free throw with 5:30 left in the game. Clinging to a 70-68 lead she went back to work in astounding fashion burying back-to-back 3-pointers that extended the Coyotes' lead to 76-68 with 2:01 remaining.

Evangel's Carson Dillard made a 3-pointer to trim the lead to 76-71 but Ozuna answered with three free throws with 1:12 left after she was fouled on a 3-point attempt. Fifth-seeded Evangel (16-10) got no closer than seven (79-72) the rest of the way.

The smallest player on the court made the biggest impact and as a result the Kansas Wesleyan women's basketball season is still alive.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a0014f57-6959-40d8-ace6-d1da750a9b33?elinkdata=6256" target="_blank">Odessa Ozuna</a>, a 5-foot-3 freshman point guard, scored 12 of her 16 points the final 5½ minutes of the game and propelled the Coyotes to an 81-72 come-from-behind victory over Evangel in a quarterfinal game of the Kansas Conference Tournament on Wednesday night inside Mabee Arena.The fourth-seeded Coyotes (17-12) move on to the semifinals and a game against top-seeded Tabor at 2 p.m. Saturday in Hillsboro. The Bluejays (25-4) routed eighth-seeded Bethel 67-39 in their quarterfinal contest Wednesday in Hillsboro.Tied at 64-64 Ozuna scored on a layup, was fouled, and made the free throw with 5:30 left in the game. Clinging to a 70-68 lead she went back to work in astounding fashion burying back-to-back 3-pointers that extended the Coyotes' lead to 76-68 with 2:01 remaining.Evangel's Carson Dillard made a 3-pointer to trim the lead to 76-71 but Ozuna answered with three free throws with 1:12 left after she was fouled on a 3-point attempt. Fifth-seeded Evangel (16-10) got no closer than seven (79-72) the rest of the way.It was KWU's third victory of the season over the Valor which completed their first season as a member of the KCAC."Part of it is having confidence in myself and the other part of it is my teammates having confidence in me," Ozuna said. "I've missed shots, I've had bad plays and they're just right there, they're in my ear, giving me a high five. They're like 'hey you're good, you're good, next play, next play.'"That's really a tribute to who I'm on the floor with and how good my teammates are at encouraging us."The Coyotes trailed 57-55 after three quarters and were down 62-55 with 8:40 left in the game before embarking on the comeback. Freshman&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/23364caa-777a-4f81-804e-66da91006605?elinkdata=6256" target="_blank">Brooke Strine</a>&nbsp;started it with six consecutive points.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/99deb9fd-9bee-4d25-b21c-243fc3c540a0?elinkdata=6256" target="_blank">Jill Stephens'</a>&nbsp;3-pointer with 6:16 left tied the game at 64 and set the table for Ozuna's heroics."We've seen her make those plays in big games and in situations in the fourth quarter where we were looking for something," KWU coach&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d41a8e67-460d-4f04-ac78-7c053e5cb150?elinkdata=6256" target="_blank">Ryan Showman</a>&nbsp;said of Ozuna. "We had a stretch late third, early fourth quarter where we couldn't get anything going - bad possessions, poor execution."They were up seven, we called time and said 'now it's our run' and I feel like we took over from there. The icing on the cake was Ozuna hitting some big, big threes, making some free throws. Just such a great team win."Ozuna played soccer, a sport where her size was not as much of a factor but found ways to survive and thrive in basketball. She surpassed the 2,000-point plateau during her career at Nolan Catholic High School in Fort Worth.After Wednesday's game Ozuna is averaging 7.1 points and is shooting 42 percent from the field, 41 percent from long distance in her first collegiate season."I got away with a little bit of a height disadvantage (in soccer)," she said. "In basketball I just try to play to my strengths - my speed, being quick, stuff like that. I try to take full advantage of that because I know height is not in my favor."<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/23734d49-a4e9-42ee-a075-ac9d636611c8?elinkdata=6256" target="_blank">Daijane Adams</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b16ee1c0-a116-4e4e-ae40-f64879c541e1?elinkdata=6256" target="_blank">LaMyah Ricks</a>&nbsp;and Stephens scored 11 apiece. The Coyotes shot 43.6 percent (24 of 55) and were 11 of 23 from beyond the 3-point line. They have made 28 3-pointers in their last two games - 10 in the fourth quarter against York last Saturday."When you're bought in on something and you want something so bad nothing's going to take it from you, that's what you saw in that fourth quarter," Showman said. "We knew how close we were, we weren't going to let it slip.""I think shows how truly connected we are," Ozuna said of the Coyotes' fourth-quarter success. "We feed off each other and we know how to make those big plays."Dillard led Evangel with 28 points while freshman center Kamie Jenkins had 20 points and 13 rebounds. The Valor shot 38 percent (27 of 71) including 5 of 16 from deep."We didn't do much to slow (Dillard and Jenkins) down but what we did do was a really great job on everyone else," Showman said. "Nobody had a breakout game."KWU returns to Hillsboro just 11 days after losing to Tabor 86-38. The Bluejays won 77-61 in Salina in early January."That team was so excited when I told them we're going back to Hillsboro on Saturday," Showman said. "They want another shot. We didn't give our best effort; we were not very good last week. We had a feeling it would run through them and here we are."