Two of the top teams in Class 1A meet in Minnesotas' Iron Range as No. 2-1A Cromwell visits No. 3-1A Mountain Iron-Buhl with recent history and section playoff seeding on the line.
Cromwell was the top seed in last year's Class 1A, Section 7 tournament. However, Mountain Iron-Buhl ended up clinching the crown and state tourney berth with a 50-31 triumph in the section title game.
A win Saturday could give Cromwell (17-2, 7-0) a boost in earning the section's top seed once again. Cousins Taya and Shaily Hakamaki have been at the top of the score sheet for the Cardinals most nights.
Opposing Mountain Iron-Buhl (15-3, 10) might have some extra motivation heading into the section primer, as the Rangers are coming off a 67-64 loss at No. 8-1A Walker-Hackensack-Akeley last Saturday.
A basketball prodigy has helped drive the Rangers' offense this season. Jordan Zubich, an eighth-grader, averages 14.2 points per game.