The best way to learn the caliber of a team is through a tough loss. How does the team finish the bad game? How does it bounce back for the next game? How do the players ensure the loss doesn’t affect future performances?

When a team can answer these questions with positive words, coaches and fans know the players are ready to compete.

Manhattan High was able to do just that, as the Indians bounced back from a disappointing loss to Highland Park with a 78-72 win over Shawnee Heights Tuesday night.

“Nobody on our team was proud of [the Highland Park game],” head coach Benji George said, “and you learn what your guys are made of, because Saturday morning, they were here without me saying a word shooting. They have pride in their performance, and they were ready for their redemption.”

MHS was led by senior Trevor Hudgins. After shooting just five times Friday night, Hudgins led the way with 14 points in the first quarter alone on the way to a 25-18 Manhattan lead after one quarter.

“[I was just] playing more aggressively and just trying to get to the bucket more,” Hudgins said. “Coach said [only shooting five times] is unacceptable for me if this team needs to win, so I try to do anything to help this team to win.”

The Indians’ early lead was a tribute to their ability to score. By the end of the first quarter, Manhattan had tripled the three-pointers it made from the Highland Park game. This scoring led to a 10-point lead, 35-25, midway through the second quarter.

That’s when trouble struck for the Indians. Shawnee Heights closed the half on a 13-6 run, including a buzzer-beater as time expired. Though Manhattan’s 13 fouls certainly played a role, a lack of situational awareness contributed to Shawnee’s run.

“[The coaches] just have to do a better job of teaching [the players],” George said, “[and] they need to do a better job of just learning the situation. That’s not a situation where it’s time to get my shot, it’s a situation of ‘let’s get into the locker room with an eight or 10 point lead at minimum.’”

Hudgins added that the team needed to execute better and play the way they were taught.

Shawnee opened the second half the same way it closed the first: with a run. The Thunderbirds came soaring out of the gate with a 7-2 run. Manhattan proved that basketball is a game of runs though, scoring 10 of the next 12 points to retake a 53-47 lead late in the third quarter.

It was Shawnee’s turn next. More specifically, it was junior Tyler White’s turn. White single-handedly went on a 9-4 run, closing the gap to one point as the third quarter ended.

White’s run foreshadowed the fourth quarter, as both teams were unstoppable offensively. Together, the teams had less than five non-scoring possessions through the middle of the fourth quarter.

“Both teams were searching defensively,” George said. “[A lot of it was] losing guys we shouldn’t have been losing, and we need to show them that on film. Fatigue became a factor, and I thought that the fatigue set in, and their shots started to come up short.”

Even so, the game continued to be an offensive showcase. Manhattan was able to get stops first, forcing Shawnee to foul in an attempt to delay the game. The Indians were nearly perfect on their free throws, allowing them to take a five-point lead into the final seconds of the game. As a three-pointer couldn’t win the game, Shawnee began chucking up shots. It was to no avail, as Manhattan senior Cade Roberts rebounded the ball, and threw it the length of the court as time expired to clinch the game.

Throughout the game, MHS felt more ready and relaxed than it had in its previous game.

“We just felt great coming out,” Hudgins said. “[We were] just playing relaxed [and] just shooting the ball a lot better than we did on Friday night against Highland.”

Toward the end of the game, George decided to leave a core group of guys on the floor, and didn’t subsitute much in the fourth. However, the entire team was still able to contribute to the win.

“I know that we shortened our bench in the fourth quarter,” George said, “but I thought throughout the game there were great contributions. Carson Marsh [junior,] taking the charge and getting rebounds, and [junior] Micah Wiggins I thought did a great job first half, and [senior] Josh Haus had a left-handed finish, and we got to let the guys know that.”

The Indians were led in scoring by their seniors once again. Hudgins finished with a season high 29 points, senior Tommy Ekart had 20 and Roberts added 10.

Manhattan’s next game will be against Hutchinson at the McPherson Invitational Basketball Tournament due to the postponement of the Topeka West game.

No matter how the tournament ends, Manhattan’s coaches are assured that this team has pride in who they are.

“The last three years since I’ve been the coach,” George said, “we’re 6-0 after a loss. We’ve never had a two-game losing streak, and there’s so much pride these kids have. They don’t always wear it on their shoulder like maybe I do at times, but the fact that guys came up and got 1000 shots up Sunday, that shows a lot about how much that means to them, and they were definitely ready to prove themselves.”