No. 1 Eastview at No. 7 Bloomington Kennedy
7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 14

The two powerhouse programs collided in last year’s Class 4A semifinals, with Kennedy earning a 43-39 victory. Many of the top producers in that game have graduated or in the case of Kennedy, transferred, but both teams remain formidable. Point guard Madison Guebert had a game-high 19 points for the Lightning, while Tonoia Wade had 10 and Kenisha Bell scored six with three assists for the Eagles. All three are highly-regarded college prospects, as Guebert is receiving plenty of offers in her junior season, Wade has committed to St. John’s and Bell is headed to Marquette.

The two teams also played in mid-January this regular season, with Eastview earning a 65-54 victory as part of its perfect season (to this point). Guebert, the daughter of coach Melissa Guebert, came up big again with 26 points, while Kari Opatz and Hana Metoxen added 10 points each to offset a 20-point night from Bell and 18 from Wade.

So is this the rubber match? Of sorts, at least until they meet again in the year’s Class 4A state tournament.

Presumptuous? Yes. Likely? Absolutely.

Kennedy has won six straight since the Jan. 16 loss to Eastview, the last five by big margins. The Eagles appear to be gelling heading into the playoffs, led by Bell (20.4 ppg) and Wade (16.6 ppg). Bell is an acrobatic guard who can run the point but also score in bunches, while Wade is a slashing win player who plays with aggression. They’re getting help from sophomore Lashayla Wright-Ponder (11.5 ppg), a strong post player who is the only other Eagle to average double-figure scoring.

As she was last year, Guebert (19.6 ppg) is the engine that makes the Lightning machine purr. She’s equally adept at playing a true point guard role as she is hitting for 30-plus on any night. She led the state in three-point shooting percentage last year and is like another “coach on the floor” according to her coach and mother. Meanwhile, Metoxen (8.6 ppg) is a hard worker whose motor never quits, and Opatz (14.2 ppg) has improved by leaps and bounds as a senior.