Valley Conference rivals Martin County West and Mankato Loyola will meet up for the third time this season as the Mavericks and Crusaders square off in the championship game of the Section 2A South Sub-Section boys basketball tournament Monday. Tip off is at 6 p.m. at Lund Arena on the campus of Gustavus Adolphus College.
Loyola won both regular-season contests, 42-39 in Trimont on Jan. 13 and 74-67 in Mankato on Feb. 9.
The Mavericks have won three straight and four of five dating back to the regular season.
In tournament play, Coach Cliff Anderson’s fourth-seeded MCW squad has defeated fifth-seeded Springfield 75-58 and top-seeded United South Central 56-50.
The second-seeded Crusaders lost their final two regular-season games. In the sub-section tournament Coach Sam Carlson’s squad had topped seventh-seeded Truman/Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain 71-45 and third-seeded Mountain Lake Area/Comfrey 49-45.
Both teams are allowing opponents to score 51.8 points per game this season. Mankato Loyola is scoring 64.7 points and Martin County West 63.0.
The 2A North Sub-Section title game follows at about 7:45 p.m. with third-seeded Lester Prairie (18-10) taking on fourth-seeded Cedar Mountain (13-15).
Monday’s winners play at 6 p.m. Thursday at Taylor Center at Minnesota State University in Mankato for the section title and a berth in the state Class 1A tournament.
Here are the season results for both teams:
Martin County West (17-11)
Thurs., Dec 1: at Nicollet, W 61-26
Fri., Dec. 2: at Hayfield, L 48-32
Mon., Dec. 5: at Jackson County Central, L 66-59
Thurs., Dec. 8: at Blue Earth Area, L 63-58
Mon., Dec. 12: at Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial, L 79-41
Mon., Dec. 19: Cleveland, W 68-39
Tues., Dec.20: Madelia, W 73-41
Tues., Dec. 27: Kaleidoscope Charter at Tyler, W 70-37
Wed., Dec. 28: at Russell-Tyler-Ruthton, L 67-58
Thurs., Jan. 5: at St. Clair, W 68-46
Tues., Jan. 10: at Truman/Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain, W 68-49
Thurs., Jan. 12: at Minnesota Valley Lutheran, L 55-50
Fri., Jan. 13: Mankato Loyola, L 42-39
Mon., Jan. 16: at St. James Area, W 80-75
Fri., Jan. 20: Nicollet, W 69-30
Sat., Jan. 21: at Fairmont, L 46-44
Tues., Jan. 24: at Madelia, W 65-30
Fri., Jan. 27: at Cleveland, W 81-26
Mon., Jan. 30: St. Clair, W 78-62
Tues., Jan. 31: Luverne, W 61-56 (OT)
Thurs., Feb. 2: at Alden-Conger, W 78-45
Tues., Feb. 7: at Westbrook-Walnut Grove, L 68-61
Thurs., Feb. 9: at Mankato Loyola, L 74-67
Tues., Feb. 14: Truman/Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain, W 84-59
Thurs., Feb. 16: Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial, L 63-50
Fri., Feb. 24: Alden-Conger, W 69-50
Tues., March 7: Springfield, W 75-58
Thurs., March 9: United South Central at St. Peter, W 56-50
Mankato Loyola (20-8)
Thurs., Dec. 1: Madelia, W 81-33
Tues., Dec. 6: at Truman/Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain, W 72-46
Mon., Dec. 12: Nicollet, W 77-45
Sat., Dec. 17: St. Clair, W 72-65
Tues., Dec. 20: at Alden-Conger, W 54-32
Tues., Dec. 27: Fairmont at Bethany, W 61-35
Wed., Dec. 28: Maple River at Bethany, L 60-55
Thurs., Dec. 29: New Ulm at Bethany, L 96-61
Mon., Jan. 2: at Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s, W 67-58
Thurs., Jan. 5: Cleveland, W 86-31
Sat., Jan. 7: Spring Grove, L 61-54
Tues., Jan, 10: Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial, L 76-66
Fri., Jan. 13: at Martin County West, W 42-39
Sat., Jan. 14: New Ulm Cathedral, L 55-54
Mon., Jan. 16: Mayer Lutheran, W 68-60
Fri., Jan. 20: at Madelia, W 70-34
Tues., Jan. 24: Alden-Conger, W 84-47
Mon., Jan. 30: at Cleveland, W 68-22
Fri., Feb. 3: at St. Clair, W 71-43
Tues., Feb. 7: Truman/Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain, W 66-42
Thurs., Feb. 9: Martin County West, W 74-67
Tues., Feb. 14: at Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial, L 69-32
Thurs., Feb. 16: at Nicollet, W 72-38
Tues., Feb. 21: Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton, W 62-56
Fri., Feb. 24: Sleepy Eye, L 54-46
Mon., Feb. 27: at Springfield, L 97-76
Tues., March 7: Truman/Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain, W 71-45
Thurs., March 9: Mountain Lake Area/Comfrey, W 49-45