By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
The Salina South Lady Cougars have been playing their best basketball recently following a tough start to their 2021-22 season.
The Cougars began their campaign at 1-7 but have since righted the ship, winning three of their last five with respectable losses to #1 Central and #9 Liberal from Class 6A.
Much of South’s recent success can be attributed to their stifling defense, which allowed just 22 points per game in the team's three most recent wins.
“Our girls have found their defensive identity as the season has moved on,” first-year South head coach Justin Ebert said. “As a team, we have been willing to play aggressively on the ball and have begun to create turnovers in the half-court.”
While the defense has come into its own recently, the Cougars are still in search of consistency in their scoring attack.
“We are still a work in progress on the offensive end,” Ebert said. “Too often we end an offensive position empty and need to be able to cut our turnovers down in the half-court.”
The one standout on offense has been senior Sydney Peterson who is the only player on the roster to average double-digit scoring this season.
“Sydney has developed as our steady offensive scorer,” he said. “Her game has matured from November and she has been able to add different scoring options to our offense.”
Lauren Harris has also become a solid option for the Cougars down low, leading the team with five rebounds per game to add to six points.
The home stretch won’t get any easier for Salina South, with ranked opponents like Derby and Goddard still on the schedule ahead of the postseason.
“The biggest challenge left in our schedule is our schedule,” he said. “We have a very difficult end to the season playing against some of the best teams in Kansas but we are excited for the opportunity to compete against some of the best and continue to grow as a team.”
The first of those tough games came on Tuesday as South fell to their cross-town rivals in #1 ranked Salina Central, but cut the deficit in half from their first meeting with the Mustangs.
With the improvement on full display, the Cougars are hopeful that they can continue to trend in the right direction ahead of a loaded sub-state tournament in early March.
“Our goal is to be playing our best basketball by the time postseason starts,” Ebert said. “We don’t have the luxury to look down the road, so we have to continue to use each game to prepare for our run.”
The Lady Cougars will be back in action on Friday when they host the 7-6 Maize South Mavericks.
For continuing coverage of both Salina South basketball teams stay tuned to the Salina Post.