Mayer Lutheran, with five consecutive victories, is on its longest winning streak of the season. And that might bode well for a team that came up short against Minnesota River Conference rival Jordan on Jan. 17.
In the 60-56 loss, Mayer Lutheran couldn't keep pace with Jordan, which rallied from a 31-27 halftime deficit to win and keep alive a streak that eventually reached 14 victories. It ended when the Hubmen lost 78-75 to Holy Family Catholic on Feb. 12.
The defeat has the Crusaders looking up at league-leading Jordan in the Minnesota River standings, and Tuesday at Mayer Lutheran, they meet to all but solidify the conference title in our Top Game of the Week.
Mayer Lutheran (15-6, 10-1), which sits a game behind Jordan in the league standings with two conference games remaining, can create a tie with a win. Jordan (17-3, 11-0) likely will lock up the title with a win.
Another reason to keep an eye on this game is the guard matchup featuring the Crusaders' Baden Noennig, a 6-6 senior, and 6-3 junior Ryan Samuelson of Jordan.
Noennig, who averages 18.9 points, scored 18 in the first meeting. He is the Crusaders' only player with a double-digit scoring average. Teigan Martin, a 6-5 freshman, leads the rest with a 9.0 average.
Samuelson, who leads the Hubmen with a 19.2-point scoring average, had 35 points.
Jordan coach Matt Urbanek would like another big game from Samuelson, but said his entire team needs to play well against the Crusaders. "We are a much better team when we have a well-balanced attack," he said.
Thomas Gutzmer (11.7 ppg) and Reagan Koch (11.5 ppg) provide scoring behind Samuelson for Jordan.
The Hubmen, the No. 8 team in the Class 2A rankings released by Minnesota Basketball News on Feb. 13, bounced back from their Feb. 12 loss to Holy Family Catholic with an 82-36 blowout of Tri-City United, and Urbanek said he hopes the loss has refocused his players and "will be a springboard to finish strong down the stretch."