The top two teams in EWC boys’ basketball meet in Brillion tonight.
The host Lions, 12-0 in conference and 18-3 overall, tangle with the Roncalli Jets, who enter the Lions’ den 11-1 in league and 17-4 overall.
The Lions and Jets are spitting images of one another, relying on executing offensively in the half-court and playing hard-nosed, man-to-man defense.
Brillion comes into tonight’s game having won 10 straight and 14 of their last fifteen games.
They allow just over 44 points per game and have three players scoring double figures, led by junior Colton Larsen, averaging nearly 19 points per game, while seniors Connor Holly and Heath Cousin score better than 11 points per contest.
Roncalli has reinvented itself after losing last year’s EWC Player of the Year, Donovan Cowley, on January 6th to a foot injury.
Their first game after the injury was against Brillion at the Hangar on January 9th, a 44-30 loss.
Since then, the Jets have won 4 straight and 10 of their last eleven games. Junior Maddix Gulseth and senior Dominik Frozena have taken their games to another level, with Gulseth scoring 31 points against Valders Tuesday night to reach 1,000 points for his career.
Coach Josh Erickson also has a deeper bench led by senior Dominic Thiele, playing solid minutes and being a defensive force.
Brillion clinches the outright EWC title with a victory, while a Jets victory forges a tie atop the conference.
Coverage on AM 980 WCUB and CubRadio.com begins at 7:00 p.m.
Elsewhere, a halftime “Teddy Bear Toss” will take place at the JFK as Manitowoc Lincoln hosts De Pere.
Coverage on 1240 WOMT and WOMTRadio.com begins at 7:00 p.m.
Other boys’ games tonight include Valders visiting Chilton, Two Rivers travels to New Holstein, Reedsville looks to snap a two-game losing Streak as they host Big East North Division leading St. Mary Catholic, Mishicot is home for St. Lawrence Seminiary, Sheboygan Falls takes a short bus ride to Kiel, Kewaunee looks to remain undefeated as they play at Sturgeon Bay, Howards Grove hosts Elkhart Lake/Glenbeulah, Oostburg entertains Sheboygan Christian, Sheboygan Lutheran travels to Ozaukee, Sheboygan North visits Green Bay Preble, and Denmark is at Wrightstown.
Meanwhile, Notre Dame entertains Bay Port, Ashwaubenon is at West De Pere, Green Bay Southwest hosts Pulaski, Green Bay East welcomes New London, Green Bay West visits Shawano, Green Bay NEW Lutheran heads to Southern Door, Algoma hosts Gibraltar, Sevastopol entertains Oconto, and Luxemburg-Casco is in Oconto Falls to take on the Panthers.
Meanwhile, there are four high school girls’ basketball games of local and area interest this evening.
Manitowoc Lincoln travels to Madison to play a very good Abundant Life Christian/St. Ambrose Academy team that handed Pardeeville their first loss of the season earlier this week.
Elsewhere, Howards Grove hosts Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah, Algoma travels to Freedom, and Cedar Grove/ Belgium entertains the Campbellsport Cougars.
