Both the Manhattan High boys and girls are off to 4-0 starts after winning at Dodge City.
The boys final score of 67-49 was a little bit deceiving. The Indians built a 19-12 after one quarter and led by as many as nine in the second quarter, but things got tough in the second half.
Guards Gabe Awbrey and Tommy Ekart both battled serious foul trouble in the third quarter while the Red Demons stormed back to take the lead. The Indians had a one point lead and were holding for the last shot of third quarter when things turned around. Zach Francis hit a three-pointer, Dodge City threw away the in-bounds pass and Tommy Ekart nailed another three from the wing to give MHS a seven point lead.
From there, Manhattan outscored Dodge City 25-14 in the fourth quarter thanks in large part to 12-of-14 free throw shooting.
The MHS girls 50-39 win wasn’t easy either. The Lady Demons came into the game ranked two spots ahead of seventh-ranked Manhattan in the KBCA rankings.
Offense was hard to come by in the first half, and the teams went to the locker room tied at 16. Neither team would shoot above 35% in the game.
Manhattan did enough to grab the lead for good in the third quarter. Gigi McAtee’s career high 20 points were a big reason why. She helped ice the game with an 8-for-10 effort from the free throw line.
The last game before the holiday break for both teams will be at Junction City this Friday.
