Manhattan High’s Ian McNabb drives for a layup during the Indians’ sub-state championship game against Lawrence on Friday, March 3, 2023, in Lawrence. McNabb scored six points off the bench as Manhattan beat the Lions, 56-40.
Manhattan High’s Ian McNabb drives for a layup during the Indians’ sub-state championship game against Lawrence on Friday, March 3, 2023, in Lawrence. McNabb scored six points off the bench as Manhattan beat the Lions, 56-40.
LAWRENCE — For a second straight season, Manhattan High boys’ basketball is headed to the 6A state tournament.
The sixth-seeded Indians punched their ticket to Wichita with a 56-40 upset of No. 3 Lawrence Friday night thanks to a masterful defensive performance and a huge second half. Manhattan held the Lions (17-5) — a team averaging 60.6 points per game entering the sub-state matchup — to a season-low in points scored by forcing 20 Lawrence turnovers compared to just 13 made shots. The Lions finished shooting 30% from the floor.
Jack Wilson paced the Indians (14-8) with 14 points, while Collins Elumogo and Dre Delort each had 12. Manhattan shot 42% (19-of-45) from the floor and 3-of-9 from 3-point range while going 15-of-25 from the free-throw line.
It took more than three minutes for either team to score, and it was Jack Wilson who put the Indians on the board with a bank shot on the right side of the goal with 4:44 left in the first.
The Lions knotted it at 2-2 nearly a minute and a half later, but Manhattan’s defense forced seven first-period Lawrence turnovers, which allowed the Indians to keep a step ahead at 6-4 at the end of the quarter.
The Lions found their rhythm offensively early in the second, scoring the first seven points to swipe an 11-6 lead fewer than two minutes in. Manhattan responded with a 15-4 run over the next 3 1/2 minutes, powered by eight points from Delort.
By the intermission, the Indians led 22-18.
Manhattan put up the first eight points of the second half and later extended that to a 15-5 scoring spree to build its advantage to 37-23 with 1:24 left in the third.
Lawrence pulled off another 7-0 spurt to force an Indians timeout with the score 39-32 at the 5:33 mark of the fourth. But Manhattan came out with 10 in a row, reaching their largest lead of the contest at 49-32.
The Indians will now turn their attention to the 6A state tournament at Koch Arena in Wichita beginning on Wednesday. Their first-round opponent will be announced later.
