By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
The Southeast of Saline boys basketball team finished their run on a high note, concluding one of the best seasons in recent memory with a third-place finish at state.
The Trojans knocked off Hays TMP 57-44 in the third-place game thanks in large part to a huge run in the third quarter, to tie the best previous finish in program history.
“I’m really proud of our guys because you never know who’s going to show up or what things are going to be like energy-wise in these noon games,” SES head coach Bryson Flax said. “We showed up and competed hard. They wanted to get to 22 wins and they made that goal personal.”
The Trojans and Monarchs battled back and forth in the first half, with Southeast holding a narrow 26-22 lead at the intermission.
From there, the Trojans exploded, outscoring TMP 18-8 in the third, and finishing the job in the fourth to put the bow on a true team win.
“We didn’t really change anything in the third quarter we were just able to get some steals and we were good in transition again today,” Flax said. “Before I got into the locker room they were already talking about the last 16 minutes which tells me that they didn’t take anything for granted and I was really proud of them for that.”
Eight different Trojans found the scoring column in the first half alone, with Eli Sawyers and Nakari Morrical-Palmer leading the way, splitting 24 points right down the middle.
With the lead in hand, SES activated showtime mode one last time, delighting the crowd at the Sports Arena with a few final dunks.
“When our guys walk off the floor I always want people to talk about how we get after it and we never stop and ultimately it’s been that way all season for us,” he said. “When they get out on the run and they play above the rim and throw no-look passes it’s a lot of fun.”
While Southeast knocked down five threes against TMP, the most impressive shot came from the skipper himself as going into a timeout, Coach Flax scooped up a loose ball and buried a shot from the bench that didn’t count, but did fire up his team amidst the run.
“I didn’t know if I could extend my arm with my shirt tucked in and that was going to go one of two ways but I’m glad it worked out,” he said. “I told them that the lid was off and they could go score some buckets.”
The Trojans season draws to a close at 22-4 with a third-place finish in the state tournament.
Both accolades tie the previous best marks in Southeast of Saline history and without a single senior on the roster, SES will have an excellent opportunity to reload and run it back next year.
“They had a lot of guts to play a back-to-back after such an emotional game last night and to prepare the way they did in such a short amount of time that speaks volumes to the guys that we have,” Flax said. “Our community was great and I’m proud to be a Southeast Trojan.”
For more coverage of Southeast of Saline athletics through the spring and beyond stay tuned to the Salina Post.