The Manhattan Christian College Thunder opened up Conference play this past weekend at the Midwest Christian College Conference Classic. 

Friday January 7, the women's basketball squad got things started with a match up against Emmaus Bible College. A very sluggish start saw the Thunder down early and just never could recover as a team. Sophomore Roni Harris lead everyone in scoring put up 40 points in the 87-72 loss.  

Due to COVID issues within Emmaus, the men's basketball team have to postpone their game for Friday afternoon.

Saturday January 8, brought a matchup for both against Faith Baptist Bible College. On the women's side, the Thunder had a slow shooting night in the first half but their defense started to click only allowing 7 points in the second quarter. Manhattan flipped the script in the second half, scrappy defense fueled the offensive end where 20 plus points were seen in both quarters for the Thunder to pull away with a 62-50 win. Sophomore Kayleigh Mannering end the game with a double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds. Two others ladies finished in double figures, Harris had 19 and Sophomore Tristen Heiden finished with 13. Freshman Maggie Hayes pulled 10 rebounds. 

For the men, Faith Baptist wasn't going to make it easy for the Thunder. The first few minutes was a back and forth battle until the Thunder started to pull away, getting up 12 at on point. The Eagles were going away, fighting back to close the gap for a 38-32 Thunder lead into half. In the second half the defensive tempo increased seeing Manhattan Christian scoring 23 points off of 17 turnovers and not letting Faith get any closer than 9 points. Senior Jordan Marshall end the game with a double-double, 21 points and 10 rebounds to lead the team to a 79-64 victory. Senior Nate Awbrey chipped in 11 points and Sophomore Fred Handy Jr. came off the bench to add 13 points. 

Next up: Tuesday January 11 at Barclay College. Women tip off at 5pm with the guys to follow. 

After a great showing against two top NCCAA ranked Southwest Region teams last week, the Lady Thunder were in high spirits heading into their last game before break vs Kansas Christian College. From the start it was a slow-paced start for both teams, struggling to get the ball into the hoop. MCC would eventually take a 7-point lead with 5:00 minutes to play in the first quarter. Plagued with foul trouble for a huge chuck of the game, KCC would take a 41-29 lead into half.

The second half saw a different MCC squad, outscoring the Lady Falcons 36-33 but with the foul trouble, the defense just didn’t have the fight or scrappiness like normal. A late game surge for Manhattan just wasn’t enough, KCC went on to win 74-65.

“The improvement it there, I see and so do the fans. There are moments of greatness, and we just need to continue to build off of those, learn and grow. We now head into a decently long break, which is going to be good for everyone. We can recharge, take care of a few injuries and come back ready to get into conference play,” head coach Mindy Eckert commented.

MCC was led by three sophomores when it came to scoring, Kayleigh Mannering finished with 30 points, Roni Harris added 21 points and Karlee Wahlmeier chipped in 8.  Manhattan Christian (1-7) will be back on the floor December 31 with an exhibition game with Baker University.

On the Men’s side, Manhattan Christian jumped out to an early 11-4 lead before Kansas Christian called a timeout. MCC would continue to stretch their lead to 14 points, 21-7. But KCC would fight back with a run of their own, tying the game 21 all with under 10:00 minutes to play. A back-and-forth battle would see the Thunder down 36-34 going into halftime.

The Falcons would only extend their lead to 4 early in the second half before the Thunder would storm back taking the lead. A game that saw 7 ties and 4 lead changes proved much entertainment for the fans, especially in the final seconds. With 1.6 seconds left, the Falcons would tie the game 65-65. No timeouts left, MCC would have to go the length of the floor to try and win the game. Jordan White would inbound it with a 90 feet football throw to senior Jordan Marshall who would easily lay it in to win the game 67-65.

Marshall finished the game with a double-double, 30 points and 12 rebounds. He was joined in scoring by White, 10 points and 5 assist. Up next for the Thunder (5-5) will be a home match up Friday, December 10 with Doane University, 7:30pm tip-off. 

The small, but mighty Lady Thunder made a statement last year, showing that even with no bench for most of the season, five players can play 40 minutes and compete till the end. Under second year head coach, Mindy Eckert, the Manhattan Christian Women's Basketball team looks to continue where they left off. Returning three top performers from last year plus the addition of two solid transfers, coach Eckert is excited to see what this year brings. "I thought we ended last season in a good position, under all the circumstances. That group laid a great foundation for us to build off. I am extremely proud of that."

The 2021-22 squad sees the return of top scorer in sophomore Roni Harris, who averaged 21ppg as well lead the team with 63 steals. Harris, a dual sport athlete, brings quickness, lights out shooting from outside as well as the toughness to battle around inside. Transfer Kayleigh Mannering looks to add not only scoring but great ball handling skills and the aggressive ability to get to the rim as well. "Getting a kid like Kayleigh was huge for us. She and Harris are so much alike but at the same time so different, which I think will be, at times, hard to guard," stated Eckert.

Returning senior Jordan Lewis, and sophomore Tristen Heiden look to bring much needed leadership and basketball IQ. Lewis will once again run the point position, an unfamiliar role that she stepped into last year and made great strides, averaging 4.6 assists per game. Heiden will bring length and that lockdown defense that is much needed. Averaging 6.8 rebounds with 79 of those rebounds on the defensive end. 

"Jordan took on a role that was very new and never once complained. She worked hard and fully understood her role. As for Tristen, she is the type of kid who is going to get you a stop when you need it. I have so much faith in her defense," commented Eckert.

In addition, sophomore transfer Karlee Wahlmeier will be a much needed presence underneath the basket. Freshman's Karrigan Dunstan and Maggie Hayes bring more scoring as well as aggressive defense. 

The Lady Thunder look to start play this coming Saturday in an exhibition game against NAIA Benedictine College in Atchison, KS. They will open home play November 5 & 6 in the Manhattan Christian Classic.