Manhattan High girls’ basketball snapped a two-game skid in textbook fashion Friday night, downing Junction City 66-46 on senior night.

The Indians improved to 16-5 overall and 6-2 in Centennial League play, bouncing back from consecutive league losses to Topeka High and Hayden. Junction City entered winless in league play, and Manhattan extended its winning streak over the Bluejays to 36 straight games.

“It was a good win,” head coach Scott Mall said. “We were a little flat early, when you change the lineup, that’s always going to happen a little bit. However, the girls rallied back, settled down, and I thought we did a lot better in the middle two quarters.”

The night honored seniors Kat Ball, Delaney Larson, Jorryn Hall and Tess Henry in their final regular-season home appearance. Ball led Manhattan with a game-high 21 points, tying her career high for the third time this season.

“These seniors,” Mall paused. “We see these girls every day in practice, and you see how hard they work.”

How it happened

Ball opened the scoring on Senior Night with a pair of early buckets, but the Indians struggled to find rhythm in the opening minutes. Manhattan held just a 4-2 lead midway through the first quarter as Junction City brought early energy.

Manhattan’s defense eventually took control. The Indians forced double-digit turnovers in the first quarter alone and began to create separation, building a 14-9 lead after one.

The offense broke through in the second quarter, extending the margin to 37-18 at halftime. Ball finished the first half with 10 points, while fellow senior Larson added seven.

Manhattan forced nearly 20 turnovers in the first half, but the Bluejays stayed within reach behind five 3-pointers. Hall accounted for Manhattan’s only triples in the period.

The Indians cooled slightly in the third quarter but continued to stretch the lead, taking a 53-30 advantage into the fourth. Hall delivered her own senior night moment in the frame, scoring seven points to help push the margin past 20.

Ball tied her career high in the fourth quarter, knocking down a 3-pointer to give Manhattan its largest lead of the night at 24 points. It marked back-to-back 21-point performances for Ball after reaching the mark Tuesday at Hayden.

With the outcome secured, Manhattan’s seniors exited to a standing ovation before the reserves closed out the win.

Manhattan heads to Emporia on Tuesday before closing the regular season at Washburn Rural.

MANHATTAN 66,

JUNCTION CITY 46

MHS (16-5, 6-2) — 14; 23; 16; 13; — 66

JC (2-18, 0-8) — 9; 9; 12; 16; — 46

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

Manhattan — Larson 7, Becket 8, Depusoir 8, Jorryn Hall 12, Ingram 2, Ball 21, Banks 6

Junction City — Pruitt 12, Warmack 13, Riley 3, Henry-Rivers 8, Campbell