Salina South 30 Abilene Cowgirls 28
SALINA: The Abilene Cowgirls played some of their best basketball of the season Thursday night but unfortunately it wasn’t enough. In their win, Salina South overcame a 6 point deficit to start the final quarter. The Lady Cougars got 4 straight free throws from Paityn Fritz and Elle Barth, in the final minute to win the game.
Abilene got off to a fast start behind the play of Senior, Claira Dannefer. She scored her team’s first 6 points and finished with 9 of her game-high 11 points in the first half. The Cowgirls grabbed a 12-9 lead with a Dannefer 3-point play, with 7:47 to go, in the first half and held the lead until the 5:12 mark of the final quarter. The Lady Cougars used a 10-2 run to grab the lead in the final quarter. Hannah Walter gave the Cowgirls a brief 27-25 advantage with 3:26 to play but Salina South would grab back the lead and put the game away at the line.
Dannefer and Walter were the Nex-Tech Wireless Players of the Game. The Cowgirls will face (6) Buhler Friday at 3 pm at Salina South. Buhler lost 44-26 to (3) Great Bend on Thursday. (2) Salina South will play Great Bend at 6 pm at KWU on Friday.
𝟮) 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 9 11 15 30 (6-2)
(𝟳) 𝗖𝗼𝘄𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹𝘀 9 15 21 28 (0-8)
𝗔𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗲: P.O.G. Claira Dannefer 11, P.O.G. Hannah Walter 7, Sammy Stout 6, Callie Powell 4
𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵: Paityn Fritz 11, Elle Barth 5, Tamia Cheeks 5, Mercedes Tarver 5, Brylee Moss 3, Aunisty McNeal 1
S.I.T. 𝗚𝗶𝗿𝗹𝘀
(1) Andover 66 (8) Junction City 8
(5) Liberal 47 (4) Salina Central 42 OT
(2) Salina South 30 (7) Abilene 28
(3) Great Bend 44 (6) Buhler 26
Abilene Cowboys 65 Salina South 47
SALINA: The Abilene Cowboys entered the S.I.T. as the top seed Thursday night but had never defeated South on their home floor in the opening round. The Cougars put up a fight but the Cowboys were able to pull away in the final quarter for the 18 point victory. The final score was Abilene’s large lead of the game.
Abilene was led by Senior, Brax Fisher, who finished with game-high 21 points. He was the Nex-Tech Wireless Player of the Game. The Cowboys also got double-figures from Stocton Timbrook 11 and a career-high 10 points from Zach Miller.
The (1) Cowboys will now face (4) Wichita South, in the semifinals, at 7:30 at KWU on Friday. Wichita South defeated (5) Liberal 62-39 Thursday night. (8) Salina South will play Liberal, at 7:30, at South High.
(𝟭) 𝗖𝗼𝘄𝗯𝗼𝘆𝘀 17 31 47 65 (8-0)
(𝟴) 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 13 25 40 47 (0-8)
𝗔𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗲: P.O.G. Brax Fisher 21, Stocton Timbrook 11, Zach Miller 10, Tyler Holloway 8, Keaton Hargrave 7, Weston Rock 5, Ian Crump 3
𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵: Jace Humphrey 15, Brady Howard 8, Jaxon Myers 5, Gavin Devoe 5, Sawyer Walker 3, Easton Wilcox 3, Queyvon Purucker 3, Webb 2
S.I.T Boys
(1) Abilene 65 (8) Salina South 47
(4) Wichita South 62 (5) Liberal 39
(2) Great Bend 74 (7) Buhler 33
(3) Andover 69 (6) Salina Central 53
