By RANDY GONZALES

rgonzales@dailynews.net

With sub-state brackets already released, Thursday's game at Hutchinson-Trinity doesn't have much meaning.

Or so one might think.

But if your team is coming off a 55-point loss, regrouping with a good performance before postseason starts next week is imperative.

"I think maybe it's the most crucial game ... for us, this game on Thursday is huge, because we need to prove we can play better than we played," Monday, Thomas More Prep-Marian boys' basketball coach Joe Hertel said. "If we'll just play with an inspired effort Thursday night ... I think we'll be in good shape as we enter postseason."

The TMP girls (16-3), ranked seventh in Class 3A and on a nine-game winning streak, will play Hutchinson-Trinity (11-8) in a 6 p.m. tipoff. The TMP boys (11-8) and Trinity (10-9) will follow with their final game of the regular season.

"They're going to be a lot like us," Hertel said of Trinity, which was a 44-36 winner over Brookville/Ell-Saline on Tuesday. "They got a good post player, but other than that, they are young at the varsity level -- we should have an advantage there.

"It's going to be a pretty even game," Hertel said. "I see Hutch Trinity much like Cimarron."

TMP was a 63-55 winner over Cimarron last Friday, then lost 86-31 to top-ranked Scott City on Monday.

The Monarchs are led in scoring by senior forward Jacob Fouts at 11 points per game. Senior guard Nick Hammeke adds 9.5 points per game, and senior forward Taylor Pfeifer averages 8.8 points and 7.8 rebounds.

TMP girls' coach Alan Billinger thinks the Trinity girls are similar to Cimarron, too. The Monarchs defeated Cimarron 43-36 on Friday before winning 61-43 over Scott City on Monday. The Trinity girls are coming off a 56-39 loss to Ell-Saline on Tuesday.

"Hutch Trinity is another ball club similar to Cimarron," Billinger said. "They're not real big ... but they have got some really quick people."

Billinger expects Trinity to rotate 10 players and press from the opening tip.

"They're going to full-court press, and they're going to go man-to-man the whole game," Billinger said. "We know they're going to try to run us."

TMP is led by senior forward Rachel Jacobs, who is averaging 15.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.8 steals.

Senior forward Jenna Lang re-injured the same ankle on Friday that she hurt late in the volleyball season. She didn't start Monday, but Billinger said he had to use her after the Monarchs got off to a slow start against Scott City. Billinger was unsure after the game how much Lang -- who is averaging 12.6 points and 6.0 rebounds -- would play on Thursday.

Junior point guard Heather Ruder tied her career high with 22 points against Scott City, and is averaging 12.2 points, to go along with 4.2 assists and 2.8 steals per game.