Manhattan Indians girls basketball has entered the final stretch of their regular season, with crucial Centennial League matchups ahead. The Indians had a record of 14-3 going into their Feb. 10 home game against Washburn Rural. The game against Rural was the first of six league matchups to wrap up the less than three remaining weeks of MHS’s regular season.
The Indians downed Maize on the road 53-44 on Feb. 7. In the game, senior Kat Ball tallied a career-high 21-points.
“Great win,” Ball said. “That was a hard game to travel two hours and have to get off the bus and play after we just had a good game on Friday.”
The score was tight throughout, but the Indians came through in the fourth quarter.
“I think even last year or two years ago, if we were in that same serious scenario, we probably would have lost that game,” Ball said. “So I think that really shows how much dedication we put into this year, and how much we work from beginning to end.”
Along with dedication, the depth of the Indians roster has shone through this season
“If someone’s having an off night, that’s okay. That’s why we have 12 girls suited up,” Ball said. “Our bench is so deep, and we can put anyone out there. And I think they would all do perfectly fine.”
Another propellor toward success has been the team’s chemistry.
“Some years you have cliquey groups,” Ball said. “Some girls that stay together, and some girls that just are in their little groups. I think this year we don’t have that. We’re kind of one team and one family, and I think we’ve just all opened up together.”
On Feb 6, the Indians triumphed over Emporia 71-31, sucker punching the Spartans. The game was tight after the first quarter, with the score 13-9, in favor of the Indians. After that, the Indians rose up and dismantled Emporia.
“[Head coach Scott Mall] told us just to be extra aggressive, that we can get to the basket if we want to and just to go do it and keep [our] foot on the pedal,” junior Ansley Becket said.
The Indians hit each mark.
“Just did a good job of team offense, moved the ball, got good shots, hit some outside shots when we needed to, but really got some penetration,” Mall said.
During halftime of the Varsity boys basketball game, Ball was announced by Mall as the program’s new all-time steals leader.
“Coach [Scott] Mall announcing it was super fun,” Ball said. “He’s obviously been here for my four years. He’s seen every steal that I’ve had on Varsity.”
Both girls and boys teams wore pink against Emporia to spread cancer awareness, a tradition Mall holds dear.
“It means a lot to me,” head coach Scott Mall said. “Me and my former assistant, Angie Messer, started this years ago when my wife was undergoing treatment for cancer, and that’s where we got it started.”
Prior to their games against Maize and Emporia, the Indians beat Great Bend 71-32 on Feb. 3 and finished as the runner up in the Mid America Classic in McPherson, losing to Olathe South 63-51 in the tournament championship on Jan. 31.
Their next matchup is Friday, as the Indians face Topeka at MHS. After that, the Indians go on the road vs Hayden (Feb. 17), host Junction City (Feb. 20) and round out the regular season as the visitor to Emporia (Feb. 24) and Washburn Rural (Feb. 27).
“There’s still a tough road for postseason seeding,” Mall said. “It’s important that we play well and get some wins.”
