Basketball Game Preview: Manhattan Indians vs. Washburn Rural Blues

Manhattan is 0-10 against Washburn Rural since March of 2021 but things could change on Friday. The Manhattan Indians will be playing at home against the Washburn Rural Blues. Manhattan will be looking to extend their current three-game winning streak.

If Manhattan beats Washburn Rural with 68 points on Friday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two matchups with that exact score. Manhattan beat Emporia on Tuesday by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 68-27. The Indians have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won six contests by 22 points or more this season.

Meanwhile, Washburn Rural came up short against Topeka on Tuesday and fell 54-45. That's two games in a row now that the Blues have lost by exactly nine points.

Manhattan pushed their record up to 13-6 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 58.8 points over those games. As for Washburn Rural, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 11-5-3.

Manhattan took a serious blow against Washburn Rural in their previous matchup on February 11th, falling 58-28. Will Manhattan have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.