Marshall has picked up right were it left off last year, a season that ended with the Tigers taking home third place in the Class 3A state tournament.
Senior Trey Lance (17.2 ppg) and junior Matthew Onken (13 ppg, 9.5 rpg) are leading Marshall (7-2, 3-0), a team that has only lost to teams from South Dakota so far this season. If the No. 4-3A Tigers can take care of business against Luverne on Tuesday, they will be 4-0 in the conference with the opportunity to begin to pull away from the pack.
Pipestone Area has a solid base of experience, with a roster full of juniors and five returning seniors, among them last year's leading scorer Tyl Woelber, who is again pacing the offense, scoring 19.7 points per game. The Arrows (6-4, 2-0) have gotten off to a good start, particularly in conference play, after finishing 6-6 last season.
This contest will be a good test for both squads as the midpoint of the season approaches, and the result will give the winner an excellent position in the conference standings, while the losing team will still have time to make improvements before the Feb. 5 rematch.