Brooklyn Center vs. Columbia Heights

7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 23

Dueling guard play, seniority against youth and a clash of talented Tri-Metro West Conference rivals make up our Top Game of the Week.

Brooklyn Center, ranked No. 5 in Class 2A by Minnesota Basketball News, has won eight straight, and although the Centaurs face a tough game against conference-leading and No. 1-3A DeLaSalle on Tuesday, plenty of momentum will carry them toward an opportunity for revenge against Columbia Heights. 

The Centaurs (17-6, 6-3) fell 81-70 on Jan. 9 to the Hylanders despite a team-high 23 points from sophomore guard Lu'Cye Patterson. Patterson leads Brooklyn Center in points (22.7), rebounds (6.2), assists (5.5) and steals (2.1) per game. Junior forward Adreone Sprinkles (17 ppg, 5.9 rpg) has been the consistent secondary option for the Centaurs.

Columbia Heights (15-5, 7-2) has lost three straight, though two of those were against top-tier opponents in DeLaSalle and No. 2-2A Minnehaha Academy. Between Holy Angels on Tuesday and Brooklyn Center on Friday, the No. 7-3A Hylanders will have opportunities to right the ship before the postseason.

Senior guard Deundra Roberson (18.6 ppg) and center Wendell Matthews (16.9 ppg) are the top options for Columbia Heights, which averages nearly 74 points per game. Quentin Hardrict (13.6 ppg) and Jarvis Wright (10.6 ppg) also help with offensive production.

With excellent guard play on both teams, it's likely that this game, much like the Jan. 9 contest, will come down to front-court performance. Matthews scored a game-high 25 points and has a size advantage on the entirety of the Brooklyn Center roster. If the senior center can exploit that matchup again, the Hylanders will have an excellent chance of sweeping the season series against their conference rivals.