Waconia at Prior Lake
7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 25

Waconia hasn/t booked a return trip to the state Class 3A tournament since the Wildcats placed third in 2011. That isn't to say the Wildcats haven't been close. Waconia reached the Section 6 championship in each of the last three seasons, but the Wildcats lost each time.

Waconia opens the season ranked No. 9 despite losing much of its scoring from last season's 19-9 team. The Wildcats, however, had several players pick up the scoring load in a 72-64 win over Columbia Heights in the season opener Nov. 20. Senior forward Oliver Smith finished with 18 points and junior guard Joey Kortuem added 17.

Prior Lake, a Class 4A school from the South Suburban Conference, should be a tough test for Waconia. Seniors Connor Bair and Kevin McKiernan return as the Lakers' top scorers. Bair, a forward, averaged 15.4 points per game during the regular season, while McKiernan, a guard, averaged 7.2. 

The Lakers defeated the Wildcats 75-51 last December.