BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
SALINA — Salina South discovered that defending Great Bend's athletic and lightning quick Sadie Spray is a challenge.
After Plan A with Tamia Cheeks didn't work, the Cougars tried Plan B with Mercedes Tarver and Plan C with Brooklyn Jordan with little success.
Spray scored 24 points and dished out valuable assists to down the Cougars 44-37 in the semifinals of Friday's Salina Basketball Invitational. Spray scored 11 first-half points and 13 second-half points. The Panthers scored a magical 44 points for the fourth consecutive game.
"Sadie Spray attacks the rim and did a great job," said Great Bend coach Cindy Beck.
Great Bend (9-2) will be tested by Utah signee Brooke Walker and No. 1 ranked 5A Andover High (10-0) in Saturday's 1 p.m. championship game at Kansas Wesleyan.
Salina South (6-3) converted 6 of 17 3-pointers. Hall scored 12 points and held South's dynamic 6-3 Paitlyn Fritz to 11 points. Jillian Reimer, Makenzie Premer and Spray were defensive standouts.
"Emilee battled all night, which says a lot for her character. Defensively, we did a great job," Beck said. "I'm proud of our girls. I know they'll compete. South is a team that's up-and-down from the outside."
The Panthers trailed 20-17 at halftime, but scored eight points as Spray scored twice and Makenzie Premer and Alyssa McCauley contributed baskets for a 25-20 lead while holding the Cougars scoreless for 11 possessions.
When Spray departed for a spell, South converted 3-pointers by Paitlyn Fritz, Brooklyn Jordan and Brylie Moss for a 29-27 lead.
When Spray returned, the magic returned when Spray scored and fed Emilee Hall for a pair of baskets for a 37-30 lead. When Spray departed again, Cheeks and Fritz scored back-to-back baskets and Cheeks scored again to slice the lead to 38-36.
Spray answered with a driving basket and a perfect backdoor assist to Premer for a 42-36 lead.
The Panthers took advantage of what South's defense gave them after halftime.
"Offensively, we started working for shots that they were giving us," Beck said.
Great Bend 10 7 12 5 — 44
Salina South 9 11 9 8 — 37
GREAT BEND (9-2)—Spray 9-14 5-8 24, Hall 4-6 4-6 12, Premer 2-8 0-0 4, Bryant 1-2 0-0 2, McCauley 1-4 0-0 2, Thexton 0-1 0-0 0, Ringo 0-2 0-0 0, Nicholson 0-0 0-0 0, Reimer 0-1 0-0 0, Totals 17-38 9-14 44.
SALINA SOUTH (6-3)—Barth 1-3 0-0 3, Jordan 1-5 0-0 3, Moss 2-3 2-2 8, Cheeks 3-5 6-9 11, Tarver 0-3 0-0 0, Aunisty McNeal 0-4 0-0 0, Fritz 4-10 1-2 11, Totals 11-33 9-13 37.
3-pointers—GB 1-5 (Spray, McCauley); SS 6-17 (Moss 2-3, Fritz 2-4, Barth 1-2, Jordan 1-5, Tarver 0-1, McNeal 0-2)
SALINA GIRLS
FINAL ROUND—1ST—Andover 55, Great Bend 37; 3RD—Liberal 54, Salina South 50; 5TH—Buhler 34, Salina Central 23; 7TH—Junction City 26, Abilene 25
SECOND ROUND—Andover 67, Liberal 39; Great Bend 44, Salina South 37; Buhler 34, Abilene 13; Salina Central 51, Junction City 9
FIRST ROUND—Andover High 66, Junction City 8; Liberal 47, Salina Central 42 (OT); Salina South 30, Abilene 28; Great Bend 44, Buhler 26
