By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
After a triumphant return to the win column a week ago, the 5th-ranked Southeast of Saline girl’s basketball team will open their Sterling Tournament run on Tuesday, when the Lady Trojans (7-1) take on the hosts in Sterling (2-8) at 6 pm.
In addition to a big game in a high-profile tournament, this matchup also kicks off a bit of a revenge tour for Southeast, who were eliminated by Sterling in last year’s tournament final.
“We still feel like we have some unfinished business in this tournament,” SES head coach Shauna Smith said. “We were up throughout the game with Sterling and we let it slip away at the buzzer. This is a predominantly great tournament and we’re excited for another chance to compete.”
After falling to Minneapolis in just their first loss of the season a few weeks back, the Lady Trojans needed a big bounce back, and they got it last Tuesday, carving up Clay Center 45-28.
Almost immediately after that win, the focus shifted to a Sterling team that historically has been a problem for SES, and which will represent the first hurdle in the Lady Trojan's way at this year’s tournament.
“I think we did a really great job defensively against Clay Center and I think we’ll take that confidence into Tuesday night,” Smith said. “This does feel like a revenge game and we need to get out and beat them, we haven’t done that since 2010, and they’ve been so good in the past but we felt like we should have had that game last year.”
While this year’s Sterling team will enter this game at 1-8, the Lady Bears are due to wake up from hibernation any day now, with star forward Lily Gray returning to the lineup after sitting out the month of December with an injury.
“She’s their number one option and everything revolves around her,” she said. “She’s 6-4 so she’s going to get some buckets but we have to limit her second-chance opportunities and make it hard for them to get her the ball without fouling.”
On the offensive end, the Lady Trojans will put an emphasis on knocking down their triples to stretch the Black Bears thin and open up lanes to attack the basket.
“We have to hit some outside shots to get their defense extended and to get ourselves rolling,” Smith said. “We haven’t seen much zone this year and we’re not sure what kind of look we’ll get from them but we have to get into a flow and do the things we like to do.”
Tip-off between the Lady Trojans and Black Bears is set for 6 pm at Sterling High School, with the winner moving on to the semifinals to face either Smoky Valley or Hugoton at 6:00 on Thursday.
For continuing coverage of both Southeast of Saline basketball teams all week at Sterling, stay tuned to the Salina Post.