By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
The Salina Central boys basketball team will be in search of a first-round upset at sub-state as they look to avenge a pair of earlier losses at the hands of Valley Center.
The Mustangs enter bracket play as the 10-seed at 10-10 while the Hornets come in at 15-5 with wins of 56-41 and 61-50 in hand from the regular season.
Despite the history, it’s tough to beat a team three times, and Central knows what needs to be done to advance to a sub-state final later this week.
“It came down to too many empty possessions throughout that second game,” Mustang head coach Ryan Modin said. “We can’t afford to go 3-4 minutes without scoring and that happened a couple of times in that game.”
While Central has struggled through a gauntlet, falling in four of their final five games, the team has been playing with considerably more cohesion than when the season tipped off.
“I’m really happy with how the guys came together as the year went on,” Modin said. “It took us some time for our team chemistry to get right and once it did, we were much more consistent each game.”
For the Mustangs to pull the upset, they must match the consistency of a Valley Center team that has built their brand on team-focused, mistake-free basketball.
"Valley Center plays together about as well as anyone we played this year,” he said. “Everyone on their team knows their role, accepts it, and executes it. They don’t hurt themselves with a lot of mistakes and they don’t rush shots or force anything. We have to keep them from driving the lane and baseline on us and keep their bigs off the offensive glass.
While the odds are stacked against Central, there isn’t a shred of doubt in the Mustang locker room that this team is capable of surviving and advancing to the sub-state final on Friday.
"Our guys are always confident,” Modin said. “We’ve played a great schedule and playing in those games prepares you for these types of games. We have to play consistently for four quarters, keep our turnovers down, make them work for shots, and be efficient on offense.”
Tip-off between the Mustangs and Hornets is set for 7 pm at Valley Center high school.
The winner will advance to face 19-1 Kapaun Mt. Carmel or 3-17 Goddard for a spot in the state tournament on Friday.
For continuing coverage of both Mustang basketball teams at sub-state, stay tuned to the Salina Post.