Byron and Lake City are tied atop of the Hiawatha Valley Gold Conference standings and, coincidentally, are the only two teams with winning conference records, making this game instrumental in deciding which will take home the league title.
The Bears (6-3, 4-0) have bounced back from a disappointing outing last season, one that saw them finish in the middle of the conference and fall in the section tournament. Senior guards Michael Coble (17.1 ppg) and Bjorn Knutson (13.4 ppg) are leading Byron's offense again and will be out for revenge for the pair of 65-55 losses the Bears had last year against the Tigers.
Lake City (9-2, 4-0) has played well through 11 games, with senior Marc Kjos (20.7 ppg) and sophomore Nathan Heise (18.4 ppg) pacing the No. 7-2A Tigers offensively.
The defense has been consistent for last year's conference champions, as Lake City has kept five of its opponents under 50 points this season.