By Jeremy Obermeyer
Salina Post Contributor
The Southeast of Saline basketball teams completed another busy three-game week with a combined record of 5-1 as they hosted the Ellsworth Bearcats on Friday.
The Lady Trojans couldn’t quite overcome the Lady Bearcats red hot start, as Ellsworth pulled off the 49-39 upset, while the Southeast boys climbed above .500 for the first time this season in a thrilling 61-58 come-from-behind victory.
Girls: Ellsworth 49, Southeast of Saline 39
After turning the ball over on their first possession of the game, Ellsworth went 3-3 on their next three possessions as three different Lady Bearcats hit from beyond the arc to take an early 9-0 lead.
After making the score 9-3 on an old-fashioned three-point play from Southeast’s Suttyn Douglas, Ellsworth extended their lead to 12 points before ending the opening frame with a 17-10 advantage over the Lady Trojans.
The Lady Bearcats continued to keep Southeast at arm's length as they led at halftime 30-21, at the end of the third quarter 41-30, and then won the game by a score of 49-39.
Abigail Pearson was the only Lady Trojan to score in double figures as she led all scorers with 19 points.
Ellsworth was led in points by Jo Lindsley with 11 points.
The Lady Trojans suffer their first league loss, as they fall to 11-4 overall and 6-1 in the NCAA. Ellsworth climbs to 10-4 overall, and 5-2 in league play.
Boys: Southeast of Saline 61, Ellsworth 58
Southeast may have scored first, but it was Ellsworth that owned most of the first quarter, taking their first lead of the game at 7-6, sparking a 15-7 run to close out the first quarter with a 19-13 lead over Southeast.
After a Southeast timeout and the score 26-13, the Trojans started chipping away at the deficit, knocking it down to 35-26 at halftime.
After going a 28-16 run, knocking the Bearcat lead down to a single point, Southeast gained the lead at 43-42 on a Gannon Jacobson steal, followed by a two-handed dunk.
The Trojans led by as many as seven points in the fourth quarter before holding on for the 61-58 victory.
Owen Bailey scored a season-high 25 points, leading all scorers, followed by Gannon Jacobson with 17 points and Sam Knopf with 11 points.
Jace Thomasson led the Bearcats in scoring with 19 points, followed by Tucker Goss and Cooper McGowan, each with 11 points.
The Trojans advance to 8-7 overall, 5-2 in league play, while Ellsworth drops to 6-8 overall, 2-4 in the NCAA.