By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
With 2022 in the rearview the Southeast of Saline girls’ basketball team will carry their undefeated record and #5 ranking into the new year as the Lady Trojans prepare to host 5-1 Minneapolis on Friday night.
While SES has dominated the NCAA recently, this game could serve as another true test, as the Lady Lions have outscored their first six opponents by over 100 points.
Southeast hasn’t been far off that mark in point differential and will look to continue playing their physical, scrappy brand of basketball down the home stretch.
“Our toughness has really stood out to me this year,” SES head coach Shauna Smith said. “As you go back and look at the games that we’ve played we’ve been in a lot of close ones but I think that our toughness has been something that has been present in every game.”
While the Lady Trojans have been good, every team is still in search of ways to improve, and for SES, that means finding ways to make their already versatile offense that much more formidable.
“We worked on keeping the floor spread out and moving the ball a little more consistently over break,” Smith said. “We want to give ourselves some more options with our five guards on the floor all having opportunities to take it to the basket.”
With the Lady Lions fixed in their sights, Southeast will take aim at one of the few potential challengers to their league throne, and a team that in a lot of ways, resembles a younger SES squad.
“They’re clones of us,” she said. “They don’t really have a true post, they’re fast, they like to get up and down the floor and they’re going to pressure the ball with good defense.”
To mitigate the Minn attack, the Lady Trojans will have to account for key playmakers like Maci McClure and Maggie Shupe, while ensuring they keep an eye on a roster loaded with role players primed to go off in any given contest.
“We have to make sure that we talk and that we stay in communication consistently on every possession defensively,” Smith said. “On the other side, we have to put the ball in the bucket and not feel like we have to try to force things right away out of their press.”
Tip-off between the Lady Trojans and Lions is set for 6:30 at Southeast of Saline High School with the boys' game to follow at 7:00.
As always the game can be heard on KINA (910 AM or 107.5 FM) or streamed live on the Salina Post.