By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
With their January schedule winding to a close, the Salina South girl’s basketball team will return home for a Tuesday tilt with Maize South, looking to start a late-season run amidst a gauntlet of a home stretch.
The Lady Cougars will come into this contest at 5-7 while the Mavericks enter at 9-3 having won their last six straight.
Tonight, Salina South will have to contend with a team that has an advantage on the inside, but the Lady Cougar defense has stood tall against similar opponents in the past and will be prepared for another tough one tonight.
“Maize South has a lot of length and they’ll get out and guard but they also have a zone that makes passing lanes a lot smaller,” Cougar head coach Justin Ebert said. “They have a really good post player down low who runs their team averaging 14 and 7 a game and they have some really nice pieces around her that contribute.”
That aforementioned post comes in the form of 6-2 Avery Lowe, who has had her way with opponents for the better part of the Maverick's 12 games so far.
Lowe has gotten some big support this season from Amani Lipscomb, Bella Peters, and Sophie Hurley, who have added a dangerous layer of depth to an already staunch Maize South attack.
“We’ll have to contend with their length and size,” Ebert said. “They’re a team that plays hard, that plays the right way, that’s coached well and that plays inside out which is kind of rare in this day and age”
Fortunately for the Lady Cougars, the Maverick’s style fits perfectly into what Salina South is comfortable with, and if their defense can show up big as it has in the past, this could be an opportunity for South to steal a huge win on their home floor.
“This is a team that we match up well with in terms of pace of play,” he said. “We have to be winning games in the 40s and they’re a meticulous team that doesn’t try to push the pace. This will be the style of game that we want to play and hopefully we can make the plays down the stretch to come away with a win.”
Regardless of style or role players, ultimately, this game will all come down to the battle in the post, where South is sure to have their hands full but can turn the tide if they can make life difficult for Lowe.
“The biggest key will be how well we can play inside the paint,” Ebert said. “The team that can get the offensive rebounds and putbacks and that can score around the bucket will be the one that gets the win tonight. We also have to play the kind of defense that we’ve played through twelve games and limit their opportunities to score.”
Tip-off between the Lady Cougars and Mavericks is set for 6:00 pm at Salina South High School with the boys’ game to follow at 7:30.
For continuing coverage of Salina South hoops all season long, stay tuned to the Salina Post.