Whatever formula Manhattan High girls basketball head coach Scott Mall has used so far in 2015 is working.

The Lady Indians are off to a 4-0 start, including wins over fourth-ranked in 4A Newton last weekend, and most recently, a 50-39 win over fifth-ranked in 6A Dodge City Saturday night.

The formula may involve an emphasis on defense, though. The Lady Indians limited Dodge City to just 13-of-46 shooting, good for 28 percent.

The defensive effort included holding Tia Bradshaw, one of the Lady Red Demons’ more potent offensive threats, to seven points.

“[Tarrah] Bammes did a great job on Bradshaw, of keeping her from really attacking the basket,” Mall said. “I thought, defensively, we really battled hard, and did a pretty good job of some tough things.”

Bammes drew the assignment on Bradshaw because freshman Haleigh Harper sustained an ankle injury in pre-game warmups, throwing a screw into the wrench that is Mall’s rotations.

Harper tallied 11 points in Manhattan’s last game, but the offense barely skipped a beat, thanks in part to Gigi McAtee’s production. The junior finished with a season-high 20 points.

“[My mindset was] just attacking more,” McAtee said. “In the first half, I had a few threes, but they definitely played out more, so driving to the basket and getting fouls called.”

As profitable as McAtee’s performance was, she scored only two points in the third quarter after Manhattan and Dodge City entered halftime tied at 16.

That third quarter was perhaps the difference-maker in terms of separation.

Junior Kennedy Wilson and her sister, freshman Kia Wilson, combined for six points in the third frame. Fellow freshman Taylor Johnson contributed four in the third also, two of which were part of a 4-0 MHS spurt to end the quarter, a short run Mall said paid dividends in the final quarter.

“That was a big lift going into the fourth quarter,” he said. “It kind of gave us some confidence. You could see the girls came in with a lift coming into the huddle at the end of the third quarter.”

The Lady Indians picked up right where they left off when the fourth began, jumping out to a 40-34 lead midway through when senior Madison Mittie sank a triple. Dodge City rallied to pull within three with two minutes to play, but MHS connected on 8-of-9 free throws in response to close out the contest.

Mall said he didn’t doubt his team at the free throw line.

“Some girls who are usually good miss some early, but boy, in the second half, we put them in,” he said. “Josie Hilgers hit two big ones there late. We have girls that are really good shooters, and they put it in.”

McAtee echoed her coach’s sentiment.

“We shoot a lot of free throws in practice,” McAtee said. “Everyone just kind of stepped up at the end and hit their free throws, so that was good.”

Manhattan now turns its attention to a road contest with Junction City on Friday.