Big Lake at Willmar
4 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 17

Big Lake upended last season's Class 3A, Section 5 runner-up Rocori in its season opener, helping send the team on a four-game winning streak.

The crown jewel in the run is a four-point victory over Becker, the team that ended the Hornet's season a year ago. Austin Miller led No. 8-3A Big Lake (4-0) with 15 points in the win and went 4-for-4 from the free-throw line down the stretch to ensure the win. 

Willmar's three victories are halfway to matching last season’s win total and include a 65-52 victory over defending section champion Monticello. The Cardinals (3-1) winning streak ended last Friday with a 47-46 loss to St. Cloud Apollo, a team that Big Lake defeated 56-43 on Dec. 6. 

After averaging 16.9 points per game last season, Noah Slagter takes on a bigger role as the top scorer for a team that boasts an athletic supporting cast, including Valley City State University baseball commit Dalton Rambow and all-state soccer honoree Gerson Maldonado-Garcia.