Orono at Hutchinson 
7 p.m., Friday, Jan. 30 

Looking for the toughest league in the state? The search may stop at the Wright County Conference East Division, where four of the six teams are ranked in Class 3A. No. 1 Orono puts its ranking on the line as the Spartans travels to No. 7 Hutchinson on Jan. 30.

Orono (16-1, 2-0) enters the week tied with No. 4-3A New Prague atop the division standings but is facing a brutal stretch, as the Spartans have a matchup with No. 10-3A Delano on Jan. 27 before heading to Hutchinson, and then go to play the league-leading Trojans one week later. A victory over the either Tigers (the mascot of both Delano and Hutchinson) would keep Orono near the top of the league standings.

The Spartans have a trio of guards who can light up the scoreboard in sophomore Tori Andrew (14.1 ppg), senior Kiera Nelson (12.9 ppg) and junior Danielle Jorgenson (10.6 ppg).

Complementing the backcourt is blossoming 6-foot-4 junior center Meghan Mandel (10.4 ppg), who emerged against Waconia on Jan. 23 with a season-high 26 points. 

Hutchinson (11-4, 0-2) is two games behind Orono in the division standings, and knocking off the Spartans could put the Tigers on the rise. Hutchinson already has one marquee victory, edging No. 8-3A Kasson-Mantorville 77-70 on Jan. 19, and another would be a big boost in confidence for the Tigers.

Junior forward Erin Corrigan (15.1 ppg, 6.3 rebounds per game) and sophomore guard Tori Wortz (13.1 ppg) lead Hutchinson's offense.