Basketball Game Preview: Washburn Rural Blues vs. Junction City Bluejays

The Washburn Rural Blues will challenge the Junction City Bluejays at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Washburn Rural is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 55.6 points per game this season.

Washburn Rural is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering Owasso just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Saturday. They lost 64-38 to the Rams. The match marked the Blues' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

Despite their loss, Washburn Rural saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Amare Jones, who went 5 for 12 en route to 13 points, was perhaps the best of all. John Hoytal was another key player, putting up eight points.

Meanwhile, Junction City faced Blue Valley Northwest in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Tuesday. Junction City secured a 56-51 W over Blue Valley Northwest.

Junction City's win was their sixth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-2. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 66.0 points per game. As for Washburn Rural, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-3.

Washburn Rural came up short against Junction City in their previous meeting back in February of 2024, falling 63-55. Can Washburn Rural avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.