No. 4-3A Austin at Rochester John Marshall
7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 18

Even with a victory Tuesday night, Rochester John Marshall likely won’t catch Austin atop the Big 9 Conference standings. The Packers have a two-game edge with only two games to go, buoyed by a 58-55 victory over the Rockets back on Jan. 17. But that doesn’t mean the rematch won’t be just as close. Austin has overcome the graduation losses of the Aase cousins (Tom and Joe), who led the Packers to back-to-back state tournament appearances. That leadership role has now fallen to the backcourt of point guard Zach Wessels (13.9 ppg), shooting guard Bret Lukes (15.1 ppg) and quick Ajuda Nywesh (11.9 ppg). The Packers don’t have the size of past teams, but they have won 11 straight games. Rochester John Marshall is paced by a burgeoning young star in sophomore Michael Hurt (16.7 ppg). The 6-foot-5 small forward has a smooth and advanced game for his age, as he can hit from outside the arc as well as drive into traffic. He’ll be one to watch in southern Minnesota the next few years.