By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
The Southeast of Saline girls' basketball team will face their biggest challenge of the season tonight when they return to Russell on Saturday to take on 2nd-ranked Phillipsburg for a ticket to this year's 3A state tournament.
The Lady Trojans come into this contest ranked 8th in Class 3A at 19-3 while the Lady Panthers enter unscathed at a perfect 22-0.
Southeast got to this point with wins of 52-41 over Beloit on Monday, and 48-34 over Hoisington on Thursday to secure their spot in the sub-state finals.
I thought we were solid defensively for 32 minutes against Hoisington," SES head coach Shauna Smith said. "Everyone chipped in at different parts of the game when we needed points."
While the offensive contributions have been spread out in stretches, this playoff run has been the product of stellar play by Reagan Goetz, who has dropped 26 and 20 in the Lady Trojan's two playoff games so far.
SES will need Goetz to come up big again tonight as Southeast stares down the best individual they've faced this season in Kansas State commit Taryn Sides, who has been terrorizing opponents throughout Phillipsburg's undefeated run.
"She's an all-around great player," Smith said. "She isn’t just a scorer but rebounds and gets the ball to her teammates. Our job is going to contain her and make her earn her points and not give any easy baskets off turnovers to her."
The play of the future DI product has helped Phillipsburg to cruise through the sub-state bracket, knocking off Russell 59-11 in the quarterfinal and Norton 66-47 in the semis.
While Sides holds the advantage in any shootout, the Lady Trojan's gritty, at times infuriating to face defensive prowess has kept them in games just like this one, allowing them to defeat teams like #3 Hillsboro already this season.
"We are going to have to match possessions and points not taking any possession off," Smith said. "We know for 32 minutes it is going to be a dog fight but we are up for the challenge."
Tip-off between the Lady Trojans and Panthers is scheduled for 5:30 at Russell High School, with the Southeast boys set to play later this evening at 7:00.
Both games can be heard on KINA (910 AM or 107.5 FM) or streamed with live audio and video on the Salina Post courtesy of Bennington State Bank.
For continuing coverage of SES boys' and girls' basketball all throughout the postseason, stay tuned to the Salina Post.