The Washburn Rural Blues will challenge the West Pioneers at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Washburn Rural knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past seven games -- so hopefully West likes a good challenge.
Last Friday, Washburn Rural strolled past Manhattan with points to spare, taking the game 61-47. The victory continues a trend for the Blues in their matchups with the Indians: they've now won four in a row.
Amare Jones
| 02/28/25 @ Manhattan | 14 |
| 02/21/25 vs Hayden | 9 |
| 02/13/24 @ Topeka | 9 |
| 01/10/24 vs Topeka | 9 |
| 01/23/25 vs Joplin | 8 |
Washburn Rural's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Amare Jones led the charge by dropping a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds. The dominant performance gave Jones a new career-high in boards. Simon Rowley was another key player, almost dropping a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds.
Meanwhile, West was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Thursday as they fell 41-37 to South.
Washburn Rural will have to keep a close watch on Treg Hardeman and Trez Hardeman, a pair of players who had a big impact on West's prior game. Treg posted 13 points and five boards, while Trez put up ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Jeremiah Matthews, who scored seven points and eight rebounds.
Washburn Rural pushed their record up to 16-4 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road. 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 contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 4-16 record this season.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Washburn Rural has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 29.2 boards per game. However, it's not like West struggles in that department as they've been averaging 26.2 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Washburn Rural strolled past West in their previous meeting back in January of 2024 by a score of 59-44. Does Washburn Rural have another victory up their sleeve, or will West turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
