By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
The Southeast of Saline boys basketball team won a dramatic thriller with the #4 Ellinwood Eagles of Class 2A, taking their final lead on a Nakari-Morrical Palmer three with just five seconds remaining.
The Trojans hung on for dear life to take a 60-57 victory, their eighth in a row, advancing to 15-3 on the season.
For Ellinwood, this was just their second loss all season as the Eagles fall to 16-2 overall.
“We needed that and we were able to beat a really good basketball team,” SES head coach Bryson Flax said. “They’re going to make some noise in a loaded 2A.”
Brit Dutton and Parker Scheck were the two leading overall scorers with 26 and 20 respectively, but Southeast leaned into their depth with seven scorers to Ellinwood’s five.
Neither team ever held a double-digit lead, trading punches deep into the fourth quarter.
Even when Dutton, who averages 25 points per game, checked out with his fourth foul, the Eagles rallied around Sheck, who kept his team in the game with a 12-point fourth quarter.
With the game tied at 57 apiece, Luke Gebhardt dove on the floor for a loose ball off the glass, and a quick timeout saved the possession for the Trojans.
“Luke sold out for the ball to get us that possession and he had a few plays like that early as well,” Flax said. That’s just what you expect from Luke Gebhardt.”
With time winding down, Nakari Morrical Palmer found himself all alone on the right side and buried the trey that gave SES the lead with five seconds remaining.
“Nakari has hit that shot a bunch of times and I was glad that he took it and didn’t put it on the floor,” he said. “He was so good for us late.”
The Eagles got the ball to Dutton for the final shot but his three was wide of the mark and the Trojans survived in a thrilling road win.
SES will have a quick turnaround as they return home to face Ellsworth in a league matchup on Tuesday night.
With one more league win the Trojans can secure back-to-back league titles for the first time since 2007.
For a full replay of both SES games from last night, click HERE.