FINAL:
SOUTH 51
CAMPUS 46

Playing in their first game in almost a week, the Cougars traveled down to Wichita to face a winless Campus Colts team in league play.

The Cougars knew they would face a desperate Colts team with their crowd behind them as they searched for their first win in league play. The difficulty of winning Friday night increased when the team learned starting guard Dakari Small would be too sick to travel, so he remained home.

Junior forward Sawyer Walker stepped into the starting lineup and immediately paid dividends, knocking down two early threes.

Jace Humphrey got out to quickest start of any Mustang, scoring six first quarter to set the tone. South led 13-6 after the first.

A similar second quarter effort increased the lead to 25-12 at halftime.

Campus played a spirited second half and managed to trim the lead to single digits heading into the fourth. The crowd could sense the chance to win their first game was in reach, but it was going to take heroics to pull it off.

For the Colts, their spark came from sophomore guard Jadyn Starbird. Starbird dropped 16 points and made several difficult, off-balance attempts that only thrilled the crowd more when they went through the net.

With a shortened backcourt, the Cougars relied on their depth at the guard spot to help bring home the win. Junior Kyler Webb saw extended minutes on Friday, along with senior Lawson Rassette. Both guards provided a steady hand when called upon to break the Colts full court pressure.

When Campus managed to make it interesting in the second half, South had an answer. The Cougars benefited from one of the best performances from junior forward Gavin Devoe this season. At 6’6, Devoe was the tallest player on the court and did his best to assert himself on the block, finishing with 19 points.

With seven seconds to play, Campus had possession coming out of a timeout, trailing 49-46. The play was designed for Jadyn Starbird to get a clean look for the tie. Starbird missed a deep three, and after securing the rebound, it was Gavin Devoe who iced the game at the line.

Salina South earned its fourth win this season and first in league play.