By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
After struggling with Sacred Heart for the better part of a decade, the Southeast of Saline boys’ basketball team has finally turned the tide on their biggest rival, winning their fourth straight over the Knights on Tuesday by a final score of 66-48.
With this win, the Trojans move to 13-1 on the season and 6-0 in league play while the Knights fall to 8-6.
Despite the final line reflecting an 18-point blowout win, Sacred Heart actually held a two-point lead at halftime of this game, and did an excellent job of controlling the pace for the first 16 minutes.
“We weren’t very good defensively in the half court and we were getting beat down the floor,” SES head coach Bryson Flax said. “I thought we would come out with a little more juice than that and I didn’t like how we came out of practice yesterday. We have a lot of guys who can make plays so you would hope that eventually one would make a play and eventually they did.”
In the second half, Southeast turned up the heat defensively, forcing 12 of their 18 turnovers and shifting the momentum back into their favor in transition, with effort plays aplenty, specifically from Caden Isaacson.
“Caden is playing with a lot of confidence offensively and he’s playing really good defense as well,” Flax said. “He gives us a lot of confidence and a lot of effort and when he plays like that it’s hard to take him off the floor.”
It was also a big game for Nakari Morrical-Palmer, who set a new season high and tied his career-high with a 21-point performance, swiping boards left and right in the second half.
“Nakari is playing well and he’s so hard to match up with,” Flax said. “He has some size to him, he’s bouncy and it’s difficult for a lot of guys to guard him. He’s been good but he’s been efficient as well and he’s so athletic on the glass.”
Two other Trojans tallied double digits by the final whistle in big efforts from Kayson Lilley (12) and Eli Sawyers (11), on a night where seven different players found the scoring column.
Next up, SES will turn its attention to a struggling Chapman program on the road as the Trojans look to continue picking up steam in the final month of their regular season.