The Tuesday edition of the KCII Area Game of the Week features the Hillcrest Academy Raven boys and girls basketball teams meeting the Pekin Panthers on the road.

The Raven boys are 14-1 on the season, 13-0 atop the Southeast Iowa Superconference North Division and winners of four straight including a 61-45 victory over WACO Friday. This year, the Ravens score 64 per game and give up 45 on 39% shooting, 34% from three and 58% at the line with 31 rebounds, 17 assists, 11 steals and 14 turnovers per game. Individually, Kale Bailey’s 18 points per night lead, as does Rowan Miller with seven assists and three steals and Gibson Scott is best at seven boards per game.

Pekin is 13-3 on the year, 9-3 in the Superconference, winners of seven-in-a-row including blasting Lone Tree last time out 77-45. The Panthers put up 62 points per night and give up 47 on 45% shooting, 34% from three and 54% at the line with 33 rebounds, 15 assists, 12 steals and 12 turnovers per game. Individually it’s Cole Millikin with 19 points to lead, Alijah Brock averages 10 rebounds and Henry Adam has seven assists and four steals per game. This week, Hillcrest head coach Stephen Bender talked about what he has liked from his team during their two-week winning streak. “(In that time), we have executed really well. We have gotten the ball down the floor in transition, got some easy buckets which we always talk about. Executed our sets. When you do that and get stops on defense, good things happen.”

These two teams have split their last 12 meetings, with the Ravens winning in Kalona on Alumni Night in December this season 57-49. A win for the Ravens would give them at least a share of the Southeast Iowa Superconference North title for the second straight season, the first time they have gone back-to-back since 2010 and 2011.

The Raven girls are 5-11 on the year and 3-10 in conference play after a 52-50 home win over WACO Friday. The Ravens average 38 points per game and give up 48 on 30% shooting, 24% from three and 39% at the line with 35 rebounds, 11 steals, 10 assists and 28 turnovers per game. Individually, Claire Withrow, the newest Hillcrest member of the 1,000 point club is the leader with 12 points per night. Niva Helmuth averages nine boards and three steals and Brynna Boshart two assists per game.

Pekin is 9-7 on the year and 8-5 in league play after a 53-43 loss to Lone Tree in their last game. This year, the Panthers put up 43 points per game and give up 42 on 33% shooting, 21% from three and 47% at the line with 34 rebounds, 14 steals, 9 assists and 26 turnovers per game. Individually, Anna Hadley’s 14 points and 11 rebounds per game lead. Abby Guise has a team best three steals and assists per night. Raven head coach Chris Nachtigal talked with KCII Sports about what the Friday win over WACO means for his team down the stretch. “We have talked about how we have to take care of the basketball. We’ve got to, and these girls have bought into that. We also have to give incredible effort on defense. Defense is what is going to take us to the finish line. We have talked with our girls that we have the ability to do it, we just have to tighten things up!”

Pekin has won 30 of the last 33 in the series including a 52-40 win in Kalona before Christmas. You can hear all of the action live tonight between the Ravens and the Panthers on AM 1380, FM 102.5, the KCII2 App and KCIIradio.com, beginning with the Area Game of the Week Pregame Show at 5:30p.m., tip of the girls game at six with the boys to follow from Packwood.