By TYLER HENRY
Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post
After splitting their matchups against the rival Trojans from Beloit last Friday, the Southeast of Saline basketball teams will be back on the road tonight as they travel up the road to take on Abilene.
These games will close the book on a grueling stretch that sees SES play three of their first four games on the road, as Southeast will play their final two games of the calendar year in Gypsum.
Girls Game: SE of Saline (2-1) vs. Abilene (0-3)
After stumbling against a state-ranked Hesston squad, the Lady Trojans seem to have found their footing, defeating Smoky Valley and Beloit in convincing fashion last week.
Now, the Southeast will look to turn back-to-back wins into a streak against a struggling Abilene program, still in search of their first win on the year.
The Lady Trojans have dominated this series as of late, winning each matchup over the last three years.
Despite their early-season struggles, the Cowgirls are still building themselves into the team they want to be down the stretch, and have seen some real progress through the first couple of weeks.
“Our effort has been outstanding and we have taken much better care of the basketball in the last two games,” Cowgirl head coach Shawn Herrman said. “We still need to be patient on offense and run through our offense. SES is super aggressive on defense and they move the ball well so we will have to slow them down and guard the perimeter well.”
Meanwhile, to continue their recent run of dominance, the Lady Trojans will have to overcome Claira Dannefer and her ability to create mismatches in the paint.
“Everyone improves when they get a year older and stronger and that’s what we’re seeing with Abilene,” SES head coach Shauna Smith said. “They have a real challenge for us in Dannefer inside so we’ll need to keep the tempo of the game up and spread the floor a little more.”
Tip-off between the Lady Trojans and Cowgirls is scheduled for 6:00 at Abilene High School.
Boys Game: SE of Saline (1-2) vs. Abilene (3-0)
After knocking off Smoky Valley to get into the win column, SES found themselves outmatched by a larger Beloit team on Friday, and battled hard but ultimately fell 44-40.
Things won’t get easier for the Trojans tonight, as they shift their focus to an undefeated Abilene team eager to repay them for a 77-59 drubbing from a season ago.
This area matchup has provided some excellent basketball over the last three years, with Southeast taking two of the three meetings between the two.
Abilene knows that in order to knock off the Trojans, they will need a full team effort, and will have to contain the playmaking ability of Southeast’s leaders on the floor.
“Owen Bailey is the guy who has been shooting the ball so well, and we have to pay attention to him at all times,” Cowboy head coach Erik Graefe said. “But the kid who “stirs the drink” as they say, is Kejr. He has been starting for a lot of years, through a lot of wins, and his poise and ability to create are a real problem. This will be a great test for us, SES is a really good team.”
While Abilene isn’t taking the Trojans likely, many around the state see the Cowboys as strong favorites ahead of this matchup, and Southeast will have their work cut out for them on Tuesday night.
“Abilene plays fast and they want to speed you up,” SES head coach Bryson Flax said. “It’s almost like watching our team from last year where they can get up on you in a hurry. They create a lot of turnovers and you don’t average 75 a game without good scorers. This will be a challenge for us.”
The boy’s game will begin 20 minutes after the conclusion of the girls game tonight.
Broadcast Information
- Location: Abilene High School
- Radio: KINA (910 AM/107.5 FM)
- Live Stream Video: Link Below
- Pregame: 5:30 PM