By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
On Friday night, the Southeast of Saline girls’ basketball team will travel to Minneapolis, with an opportunity to avenge one of their only two losses on the year and take sole possession of first place in the NCAA.
The Lady Trojans come into this contest at 14-2 overall and 6-1 in league play while the Lady Lions enter at 13-4 with an identical league record.
The last time these two met, Minneapolis ended Southeast’s 28-game league winning streak with a 47-41 win on the Trojan’s home floor.
“In that first game, we didn’t play with a lot of enthusiasm,” SES head coach Shauna Smith said. “Some of the turnovers we had led to easy layups on the other end and we weren’t very aggressive, we played very soft.”
Since that meeting, the Lady Trojans’ only loss came at the hands of Hugoton at the Sterling Invite, while Minneapolis’ only losses have come to Sunrise Christian, St. John, and Hillsboro.
A win against the Lady Lions tonight wouldn’t just put SES in the driver's seat of the NCAA, it would also put them one win away from guaranteeing a share of this year’s title for the third straight season.
To do that, Southeast will have to overcome a team capable of beating them at their own game, with a small, but agile lineup known for their defensive tenacity.
“They’re going to get down and defend you,” Smith said. “They’re going to hang on you and they’re going to play deep into their bench so getting in foul trouble isn’t a big deal for them. They’ll press you the whole game and we have to value every possession.”
Defensively, the Lady Trojans will need to be stout on all five positions, as the Minneapolis attack has remained just as balanced down the stretch.
“All of them can score, they’re a lot like us,” she said. “They don’t have one go-to kid, all five of them can go get a bucket and they don’t have one big post inside.”
Tip-off between the Lady Trojans and Lions is set for 6:00 at Minneapolis High School, with the boys’ game to follow at 7:30.
Both games can be heard on KINA (910 AM or 107.5 FM) courtesy of Eagle Radio or streamed live with audio and video on the Salina Post.