Basketball Game Preview: Salina Central Mustangs vs. South Cougars

The Salina Central Mustangs will face off against the South Cougars at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The teams are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Salina Central has struggled recently with three losses in a row, while South will arrive with four straight victories.

On Tuesday, Salina Central lost to Manhattan on the road by a 75-59 margin.

Greyson Jones

Field Goal Percentage

12/09/25 @ Manhattan	57%
12/06/25 @ Blue Valley Northwest	57%
12/05/25 @ Hays	56%
12/04/25 vs Hugoton	73%
03/05/25 @ Andover	67%
+ 3 more games

Despite the defeat, Salina Central got top-tier performance from Greyson Jones, who went 8-for-14 on his way to 18 points in addition to seven boards and four blocks. Jones is also on a roll when it comes to shooting accuracy, as he's posted one of at least 50% in the last eight games he's played dating back to last season. Another player making a difference was Kaeden Nienke, who shot 46% from the field en route to 15 points.

While South didn't have the best season last year (they finished 7-14), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They strolled past Arkansas City with points to spare on Tuesday, taking the game 58-39.

South's win bumped their record up to 4-0. As for Salina Central, their loss dropped their record down to 1-3.

Salina Central barely slipped by South when the teams last played back in January, winning 55-54. Do the Mustangs have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Cougars turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.