The annual rivalry battle between the Washington Demons and Mid-Prairie Golden Hawks returns to the basketball court tonight in Wellman in a doubleheader you can hear on KCII.

In the girls’ game, Mid-Prairie looks to get back to its winning ways after a close loss Friday to Wilton snapped a five-game win streak. The 13-4 Golden Hawks have leaned on a strong defense that gives up only 43 points per game.

Senior Callie Huber has been a force at forward with team highs of nearly 12 points and nine rebounds per game. Hawks head coach Danny Hershberger tells KCII Sports that Huber is his team’s engine.

“She does such a great job providing offense for us,” Hershberger says, “to finish around the basket for us and get to the foul line quite a bit and knock down some free throws.”

Washington is 6-12, but the Demons have also been a dominant defensive bunch that gives up only 41 points per contest. Junior guard Adalyn Long paces the offense by scoring nearly 12 points a game, but head coach Shannon Rugg says he thinks his whole team is hitting its shooting stride after Friday’s 30-point win over Mount Pleasant.

“[I am] super excited for these girls [and] super proud of them,” Rugg says. “Everybody’s just starting to shoot the ball better, and we’re playing good basketball at the right time of year.”

The boys’ matchup includes a Mid-Prairie team that fell in a shootout with Wilton on Friday, but the Golden Hawks’ high-flying offense has powered them to a 14-3 overall record.

Junior Bryce Henry is pouring in almost 23 points per game, while seniors Ace Peck and Brady Weber are putting up nearly 12 points per contest each for the Hawks. Head coach Daren Lambert says his team just needs the right mindset to bounce back from Friday’s defeat.

“When you lose, and especially lose a game that you left a lot out there,” Lambert says, “it’s about how you respond. We know the things that we need to do, and we know the things we have to avoid.”

Washington dropped to 7-10 with a loss Friday to Mount Pleasant, but the Demons can be an electric offense in their own right thanks to their three-point shooting.

Senior Logan McDole, junior Drew Conrad and sophomore Nic Stone have each hit at least 20 three-pointers this season and are averaging nearly 10 points a game. Head coach Collin Stark says his team is a dangerous group if they get hot.

“I still feel like we haven’t even touched where we could be by the end of the year,” Stark says, “and it just takes us continuing to grit. I wouldn’t put it past this group that they’ll battle.”

You can catch both games as Mid-Prairie hosts Washington this evening on all KCII stations and streaming on KCIIradio.com and the KCII apps, starting with pregame coverage from Tim Grady Gymnasium just after 5 p.m.