By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
Following a 49-20 victory over Minneapolis in the sub-state quarterfinal the Southeast of Saline boys basketball team is on to the semis for a rematch with Smoky Valley.
The Trojans defeated the Vikings 64-51 back in early January in a hectic game in Lindsborg.
“We didn’t like many things from that first matchup,” SES head coach Bryson Flax said. “We were pretty good in transition but we turned the ball over too much and gave up 23 offensive rebounds. They got a lot more shots than we did and that’s not a recipe for success especially late in the season.”
Smoky Valley will come into this contest as the 4-seed fresh off a 30-point beatdown of the Ellsworth Bearcats.
While the personnel has remained the same, the Vikings are a much-improved team from the first time these two met in 2021.
“Scheme wise they’re very similar but they’ve developed their players really well,” Flax said. “They’re more accustomed to the speed of the game, they’re physical and they rebound really well. Guys have settled into their roles and they’ve accepted what they need to do to be successful. They’re locked in and really confident.”
The Trojans will need to play much better than they did against Minneapolis to advance to the sub-state final after leading just 6-4 after the first quarter on Monday.
“They were down in the dumps after winning the other night and we told them they’re still one of 32,” he said. “We were happy to move on but we weren’t content with our performance.”
Smoky Valley has remained incredibly balanced on offense, with four different players averaging eight or more points per game.
“They mix things up on offense,” Flax said. “They have two bigs they can work in and we’ve got to beat them to spots to eliminate their easy looks at the rim. When they go guard-heavy they spread you out and drive a lot and if we help from the wrong spots we’re going to give up a lot of uncontested threes.”
For SES, getting the frontcourt involved early and often will be critical to get the Trojan offense rolling again as Southeast searches for their 12th straight win.
“We’ve got to get Nakari some good touches early,” Flax said. “He’s such a willing passer and we know he’ll find the next best available shooter. I’d like to push the tempo but when you play a team that rebounds as well as Smoky Valley that can be tough.”
Tip-off between the Trojans and Vikings is set for 7:30 pm at Minneapolis High School with the winner advancing to play either 15-6 Beloit or 13-8 Council Grove for a ticket to state on Saturday.
As always, the game can be heard on KINA (910 AM or 107.5 FM) or streamed live on the Salina Post courtesy of Bennington State Bank.
For continuing coverage of both SES basketball teams at sub-state, stay tuned to the Salina Post.