Northfield and Mankato East have each finished in the top half of the Big 9 Conference standings the last four seasons. Neither team, however, has ended league play in one of the coveted positions: At the top or in second place.
Northfield and Mankato East should be in the mix for the conference title again this year, but to truly be a contender, each needs a victory on Tuesday — when these teams meet in Mankato.
Northfield (2-1, 2-1) aims to bounce back after falling to Rochester Century 70-62 last Friday — its first loss of the season.
The No. 7-3A Raiders are accustomed to putting up points (72.3 points per game this season) behind the play of Mason Zick and his 25.3 ppg.
Zick could be key in helping Northfield end a three-game losing streak in the series that included 75-63 and 58-42 defeats to Mankato East last season.
The No. 5-3A Cougars (2-1, 2-0) are off to a good start, winning each of its first two conference games. Jax Madson had 22 points while fellow junior guard Joich Gong added 17 in the Cougars' 67-54 win over a talented Rochester John Marshall team in the league opener.