Manhattan High’s postseason outlook wasn’t just decided by baskets Friday night. It was decided by a couple clock ticks, an open bank and a coin flip.
Before senior Vince Doering raced baseline to baseline and laid in a buzzer-beater in overtime to lift the Manhattan boys past Washburn Rural, the girls had already done their part.
A 61-46 win secured the girls a share of the Centennial League title — and, thanks to one late 3-pointer, a chance at something more.
Then came the phone call.
With the Manhattan girls and Wichita East tied at 18-5 and even in point differential, the No. 4 seed in Class 6A West — and potential home-court advantage through sub-state — came down to a best-of-three coin flip conducted over the phone between KSHSAA and Wichita East representation.
MHS athletics director Mike Marsh called heads.
Twice. Two-for-two.
Both the Manhattan girls and boys earned the No. 4 seed — and the right to host up to two sub-state games.
For the Manhattan girls, the win over Washburn Rural marked the program’s first league championship since the 2017-18 season, while tallying an overall record of 18-5 and 8-2 in league play.
“It feels really good,” senior Delaney Larson said. “We’ve been working toward this since my freshman year, when I got pulled up from JV to varsity. Kat and I have been playing together for so long, and this has been something we’ve been working toward since then. So it feels really good to finally get it.”
Larson and fellow senior Kat Ball have been cornerstones of the program for years. The duo was recently recognized with McDonald’s All-American West nominations.
“Being able to go out and win the Centennial League title — especially since we haven’t done it in a while — means a lot,” Ball said. “Not just for myself, but for the girls next to me, and especially for Coach Mall. He does so much hard work that nobody sees, so we really want to go out there and play for him.”
Head coach Scott Mall knew the math. If Manhattan could win by 15, it would tie Wichita East in point differential and force the coin flip.
“I took a timeout late, because if we could get to 15, it’s worth it,” Mall said. “That’s why we pressed and wanted to shoot a three, just to get that chance. I talked to their coach — we weren’t running up the score. That wasn’t the goal. If we could win by 15, that gives us a chance to host two games.”
With four seconds remaining, Larson got that chance.
“Coach told us if we could get a steal, try to hit a three,” she said. “Kat got that steal, and I was like, ‘All right, I guess I’ll shoot it.’ I honestly didn’t think it was going in — and then it banked in. I was really happy.”
The banked 3-pointer pushed the margin to 15, and ultimately helped secure the top-four seed.
Ball sees the moment as part of a larger theme.
“100% a special group,” Ball said. “I think our connection on and off the court is something no team has. I take pride in how well we work together. Even as the season goes on, we can always get better — even in these last practices before sub-state, we’re still working and improving. Growing up around these girls has been amazing. I just love these girls so much.”
There’s pressure this time of year, but Larson keeps it in perspective.
“Maybe a little bit,” she said. “But at the end of the day, it’s just basketball. I play it because I love it. My worth isn’t defined by how I play. My worth is found in Jesus. So knowing that makes it a lot less stressful.”
The Manhattan girls will begin their playoff push by hosting Free State on Tuesday.
While the girls secured a share of the league title Friday, the boys had already claimed it outright entering the night. With that, they were strictly battling for the No. 4 seed.
Doering’s coast-to-coast layup at the buzzer in overtime lifted MHS to a 60-58 win over the Junior Blues, capping off a regular season as the outright Centennial League champions — the program’s first in nine years.
“The competitor in me says 15 wins sounds a lot better than 14, and seven league wins sounds a lot better than six,” head coach Benji George said. “I tell the guys, ‘Be inspired to do things that either haven’t been done or haven’t been done in a long time.’ We haven’t gone into sub-state knowing we had the chance to host two games in 10 years.
“So it feels good to know that after a season with a lot of road games, we’re going to be at home. Now we’ve got to get excited and get ready to take care of business on Wednesday.”
The boys finished 15-7 overall and 7-3 in league play, earning the No. 4 seed and hosting rights after a season defined by composure in tight moments.
The Indians’ experience will be put to the test, starting Wednesday against Wichita Northwest.