Crossover Classic Matchups to Watch

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Want to catch some of the best basketball Northern Minnesota has to offer? Most of it will be in Perham Saturday for the Crossover Classic. Ranked teams in Class A and AA will be in attendance as teams coverage on “the Hive” for a day full of excellent matchups.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here’s what’s in store:</span></p> <p><strong>Game One: Little Falls vs. East Grand Forks, 11 a.m.</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The first game of the day should be a solid one, as East Grand Forks comes in at 7-0 and looking like a threat in Section 8AA. The Green Wave have been building to this year for a while now and have the upperclass talent and experience to have a special season. Sam Votava and Julian Benson form one of the best backcourts in the state while Nathan Willet is a matchup problem as a combo-forward. Little Falls is off to a decent start and can counter with a great backcourt pairing too, as Alex Gwost and Travis Wenzel combine to average nearly 30 points per game. </span></p> <p><strong>Game Two: Anoka vs. Detroit Lakes, 2:15 p.m.</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anoka heads to Perham 2-7 on the year and struggling offensively. Sophomore guard Jopeth Nyamari leads the team in scoring and junior forward David Ayeni is off to a solid start averaging better than nine points and five rebounds. Detroit Lakes is 3-3 with some solid wins. Senior guard Tate Kerzman and big man Max Gunderson are the guys to keep an eye on. </span></p> <p><strong>Game Three: Cass Lake-Bena vs. Breckenridge, 5:30 p.m.</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cass Lake-Bena and Breckenridge are always in the conference and section mix but both are off to sluggish starts so far this year. The Panthers took a pair of losses to two of the five best teams in Class A in the Granite City Classic last weekend, but have a terrific player in Jarell Jacobs who can take over a game offensively. The Cowboys are leaning on point guard Cooper Yaggie, who has been excellent early in the year and Jonah Christensen, the junior foreward who averages 10 points and seven rebounds. </span></p> <p><strong>Game Four: Henning vs. Ada-Borup, 7 p.m.</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This could be the game of the day as Henning and Ada-Borup are both top-five teams in Class A, getting together for what could be a state semifinal type preview. The Hornets are coming off a weekend in which they beat state-ranked Waterville-Elysian-Morristown and lost to state-ranked BOLD, while the Cougars have played just one game decided by less than 20 points (a five-point win over Pelican Rapids to kick off the season). The Hornets don’t have anybody inside who can contend with Mason Miller, the 6-foot-8 senior center. But they’ve got four guards who can put immense pressure on the defense with their ability to get to gaps, make plays and control the tempo. Blake Wallevand, Parker Fraki and Isaac Fisher have been excellent. Preston Gwin is off to a terrific start for Ada-Borup as well. </span></p> <p><strong>Game Five: Perham vs. Maranatha Christian, 8:30 p.m.</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The undefeated Yellowjackets take on a team that started the year in the rankings, Maranatha Christian. Both teams played in the Breakdown Tip Off Classic, so they should have a general idea of what the other looks like but both teams have changed in the last month. For Perham, it starts with senior point guard Charlie Rasmussen, who has been the engine on both ends of the floor. Finn Diggins is the team’s best player and can hurt teams inside and out. And Elijah Morris is one of the best pure shooters in the state. Maranatha’s got a good point guard too, as Marciah Harut leads the team in scoring and assists. Hakim Daniels is a physical kid inside and should make for a fun matchup with Diggins.</span></p>