Park Center at Osseo
7 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 24

The winner of this matchup will receive a bit of breathing room in the Northwest Suburban Conference West Division standings, at least temporarily.

The Pirates and Orioles are tied for second place, and a victory gives the winner a one-game cushion heading into the final round of conference games on Feb. 27.

The No. 4-3A Pirates (17-7, 8-2) possess one of the most balanced offenses in the metro.

Sophomore forward Mikayla Hayes (15.8 ppg, 8.8 rpg) is surrounded by a trio of talented guards in senior Hannah Schaub (11 ppg, 3.9 assists per game) and sophomores Ann Simonet (11 ppg) and Danielle Schaub (10.2 ppg).

Osseo (17-8, 8-2) is riding an eight-game win streak, a run that started with a 70-69 upset of Park Center on Jan. 27. Junior guard Kiara Russell had 19 points and sophomore forward Azaria Reed finished with 18 in the victory.

Reed (23.5 ppg) is the Orioles' primary offensive catalyst, while Reed (11.7 ppg) and sophomore guard Mikayala Homola (10.4 ppg) are solid scoring alternatives.