By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
The Southeast of Saline Trojans will begin sub-state play today with a 7:00 tip at home against the Ellsworth Bearcats.
SES enters this tournament as the four-seed at 13-7 while Ellsworth comes in as the five at 10-6.
The two met earlier this season in what became blowout win for the Trojans by a final score of 86-50.
“Early on they played us pretty well,” SES head coach Bryson Flax said. “But we went on a few runs in the third quarter and they hadn’t been put through anything like that all season. Our guys understand that they’re not 35 points worse than us, we’re going to have to stay locked in to win this game.”
Since then, the Bearcats have gone 4-3 while SES finished out its season 6-2.
“We’ve matured with game experience and practice time and I think as a group we’re still on the upward climb,” Flax said. “We still have a little ways to go before we hit our potential.”
For the final time this season, the Trojans will play at Southeast of Saline high school, with a chance to show a small, socially-distanced home crowd one last win.
“I think home court is huge,” he said. “The crowds haven’t been what they have in the past and that’s unfortunate for the guys but we have to continue to find our own energy and I think we do a good job of that at home.”
While the Trojans take momentum and confidence into this game, in March, anything can happen, a fact that Coach Flax knows well.
“This is playoff basketball,” he said. “When you have to win to see tomorrow you’re coming to play and I wouldn’t expect anything less from Ellsworth.”
Tip off is scheduled for 7pm at SES High School and the game can be heard on KINA (910 AM or 107.5 FM)
Stay tuned to the Salina Post for continuing coverage of the SES Trojans and Lady Trojans throughout the sub-state tournament.