Melrose nearly has the West Central Conference wrapped up, but BOLD will have a chance for a solid conference win and revenge for a 71-60 loss as the regular season comes to a close.
The Dutchmen (21-2, 12-0) did not lose to a Minnesota team until a 58-54 loss to Albany on Jan. 30 — a minuscule step down from a perfect 2016-17 regular season. No. 8-2A Melrose will still be looking to carry momentum into the section tournament in hopes of advancing to the state tournament for the first time since 2014-15.
Reegan Nelson (15.6 ppg), Preston Keaveny (14.4 ppg) and Damon Van Beck (14.3 ppg) are the hub of the Dutchmen's offense, and a strong showing from all three could give Melrose the season sweep of BOLD.
The Warriors (18-5, 10-2) have continuously improved since the 2015-16 season, culminating in a record well over .500 and a possible runner-up finish in the West Central Conference.
No. 10-1A BOLD should continue to improve, as all three of its leading scorers return next season. Sophomores Gavin Vosika (15.5 ppg) and Jordan Sagedahl (11.7 ppg) will be building blocks for the future, while junior Carter Henry (14.1 ppg) provides the experience of year-to-year improvement.
As the regular season comes to a close and a difficult Class 1A, Section 2 tournament approaches, the Warriors will be eager to pick up a quality win in the last game of the regular season.