By TYLER HENRY
Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post
Southeast of Saline’s boy's basketball team dominated for stretches of their quarterfinal tilt on Monday, defeating Council Grove 72-57 and punching their ticket to the sub-state semifinals on Thursday.
With this win, the Trojans move to 12-9 while the Braves season comes to a close at 8-13.
Southeast got off to a dream start at the top of this game, holding a 28-12 lead by the end of the first quarter in an early offensive outburst.
“We were locked in and ready to roll early,” SES head coach Bryson Flax said. “We had great pace, we forced them into difficult shots and we cleaned up on the boards. When we’re defending well and limiting them to one opportunity the basket tends to widen a little bit and the shots fall.”
Council Grove battled all the way back in the second quarter, trimming the lead down to as few as four, but after the half, the Trojans slammed the gas and never looked back in an eventual double-digit win.
Southeast was led in scoring by four Trojans in double-digits, anchored by a career-high night for Danny Kejr (16), who was aided by Owen Bailey (15), Gannon Jacobson (13), and Brenton Leeds (12).
All of that spoiled a Brycen Palmquist masterpiece, as the Council Grove star dropped 28 points to lead all scorers in the loss.
Southeast of Saline hosts their own sub-state this season, and will return to Gypsum on Thursday at 7:30 to battle the defending 3A state champs in Hesston, who dismantled Smoky Valley 66-37 on Monday.