Basketball Game Preview: Washburn Rural Blues vs. Hayden Wildcats

Washburn Rural has gone 9-1 against Hayden recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Washburn Rural Blues will be playing in front of their home fans against the Hayden Wildcats at 7:30 p.m. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Washburn Rural comes in on four and Hayden on three.

Last Monday, Washburn Rural made easy work of Emporia and carried off a 65-39 win. The contest was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 41-18.

Simon Rowley

Field Goal Percentage

02/17/25 @ Emporia	71%
02/14/25 @ Junction City	67%
02/11/25 vs Manhattan	60%
02/07/25 vs Topeka	71%
02/04/25 @ Blue Valley	54%
01/30/25 vs Junction City	50%

Washburn Rural's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Simon Rowley led the charge by going 5-for-7 on his way to 18 points and five rebounds. Rowley is also on a roll when it comes to shooting accuracy, as he's posted one of at least 50% in the last six games he's played. Kaden Ballard was another key player, putting up 12 points and four steals.

Meanwhile, Hayden won against Manhattan on Monday with 54 points and they decided to stick to that point total again on Tuesday. Hayden beat Manhattan by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 54-51.

Hayden's victory bumped their record up to 11-7. As for Washburn Rural, their win bumped their record up to 13-4.

Washburn Rural beat Hayden 67-54 when the teams last played back in January. Does Washburn Rural have another victory up their sleeve, or will Hayden turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.