The West Pioneers are taking a road trip to square off against the Washburn Rural Blues at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Last Thursday, West was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 41-37 to South.
West's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Treg Hardeman, who posted 13 points and five boards, and Trez Hardeman, who earned ten points. Christian Laws also deserves some recognition as he posted his first block of the season.
Meanwhile, Washburn Rural waltzed into their game on Friday with six straight wins... but they left with seven. They enjoyed a cozy 61-47 victory over the Indians. Given the Blues' advantage in MaxPreps' Kansas basketball rankings (they are ranked 18th, while the Indians are ranked 147th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Washburn Rural's win came from a few key players West will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Amare Jones, who dropped a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in boards. Another player making a difference was Simon Rowley, who almost dropped a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds.
Washburn Rural's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 16-4. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 65.5 points over those games. As for West, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost ten of their last 11 matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 4-16 record this season.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: West has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 26.2 boards per game. However, it's not like Washburn Rural struggles in that department as they've been averaging 29.2 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
West ended up a good deal behind Washburn Rural in their previous meeting back in January of 2024, losing 59-44. Can West avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
