By the end of this week, the Manhattan Indians girls basketball team will know their final seeding for the rapidly-approaching start of KSHSAA 6A playoffs. A lot is still on line for the Indians, from potentially getting to host two playoff games to possibly clinching a Centennial League title, to the chance of sweeping Washburn Rural.
The Indians moved to a record of 16-5 after a 66-46 victory against the Junction City Blue Jays on Feb. 20. The Indians started slow in the first half against JC, but finished the game strong, sealing a 36th straight win in the rivalry.
“We got a lot of good looks, and some of them just didn’t fall,” senior Delaney Larson said. “I think they were more aggressive this time, for sure, defensive wise.”
The win ended a two-game skid, during which the Indians fell to Hayden 66-61 on Feb. 17 and Topeka High 58-54 on Feb. 13.
“We saw some things that we needed to work on after the last couple of games,” head coach Scott Mall said. “And we focused on them in practice and watching the film. It’s obvious the girls kind of took that to mind when we were playing.”
The game vs the Blue Jays, the Indians’ Senior Night game. Larson, along with fellow seniors Kat Ball, Jorryn Hall and Tess Henry were honored for their contributions to the program.
“Senior Night was scary,” Hall said. “But it made me a little emotional seeing girls that I’ve been playing with since I was younger. But I feel like it’s just growing up.”
Later that night, Ball and Larson stood at center court as it was announced that the guard duo would be nominated alongside each other to potentially play in the McDonald’s All-American game.
Also, the Indians already have guaranteed hosting rights for at least one playoff game. But to host a potential second playoff game, the Indians would have to be top four in the Kansas 6A West standings. To get there, the Indians, who were one spot out going into the Emporia game, need to win out their final two games of the regular season and will likely need Wichita East to lose their final regular season game to get those hosting rights.
After playing Emporia on the road Feb. 24, the Indians have one last regular season game ahead on Feb. 27 against Washburn Rural, a road game. MHS, who broke a 19-game losing streak against Washburn Rural a couple of weeks ago, will have to face WaRu’s star K-State commit Maddie Vickery for the first time this season. Vickery was sidelined with an injury last time the two teams faced.
“We’ll have to play well,” Mall said. “We have to really work on how they’ve changed since they’ve added Vickery in because she’s a really good player to go with the other players.”
