Lyle/Austin-Pacelli comes into the week as the No.1-ranked team in Class 1A by Minnesota Basketball News, a position bolstered by an impressive regular season that has seen only one loss — a 65-53 defeat to Iowa's Crestwood on Dec. 16. The Athletics have won 12 consecutive games since the stumble, and they look to extend the streak this week with home games against LeRoy-Ostrander (Monday) and Southland (Thursday) before hosting Goodhue on Saturday in our featured Top Game of the Week.
The Athletics have some advantages over the Wildcats: They’ve won more games, they’re rated higher and they’re playing at home.
However, Goodhue (16-4,6-1) has history on its side. The Wildcats have won five of the last six meetings over the past three seasons.
Lyle/Austin-Pacelli's lone win, a 61-47 victory in the 2015 Class 1A, Section 1 tournament semifinals, has been followed by four straight losses, including two in the section semifinals.
To put misfortune in the rearview mirror, the Athletics (19-1, 7-0) will need production from Kristi Fett. In a 66-49 win over Hayfield on Dec. 28, Fett scored a season-high 36 points. Her play will also be important to Lyle/Pacelli's hopes of returning to the state tournament for the first time since 2015. A win against the Wildcats would be a confidence-booster with possible rematch looming in the section tournament.
Goodhue's four victories over Lyle-Pacelli have been close, with the Wildcats winning by an average of seven points. To continue the streak with a win on Saturday, No. 4-1A Goodhue's 6-foot senior forward Sydney Lodermeier (15.5 points per game) will likely need to lead the way.