The Washington Demons will get their basketball seasons back underway tonight when they host Southeast Conference rival Burlington in a doubleheader you can hear on your home for Demon basketball, KCII. After a two-week winter break, both Washington teams return to the court looking to improve on .500 starts to the season.

The Demon girls are 5-5, including a 2-2 record in conference play. Sophomore Adalyn Long has been an all-around force, averaging nearly 12 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals per game. Head coach Shannon Rugg tells KCII Sports that he believes other players are poised to round into form in the second half of the season.

“I think there’s a couple that have looked really good in practice,” Rugg says. “I think Lauren Hinrichsen looked really good in the scrimmage and [has] come back this week to practice and really had a good week of practice. Jacey Berg, the last three years, [has] kind of just been okay before Christmas, and then comes back, kind of starts getting back into a flow, and then about two weeks after Christmas just hits a whole other level and really starts playing good basketball.”

Washington will be taking on a Burlington team that is 5-5 overall but has won three of their first four league games, led by sophomore Mylee Stiefel scoring nearly 22 points per contest.

The Demon boys are also 2-2 in the Southeast Conference and 4-5 in total. Sophomore Drew Conrad has been a scoring sensation, putting up double figures in every game and averaging 14 points a night. Head coach Collin Stark is hoping the high-level effort his team always brings will start translating into high-level results.

“We can score the ball,” Stark says, “but, defensively, how are we going to compete? This is a fun group, just because they just love playing the game, and they love playing the game together, and it shows on the court.”

Washington will be facing a Burlington squad that has just one win in eight games this season. You can hear both battles between the Demons and the Greyhounds this evening on 106.1 FM KCII and streaming on KCIIradio.com and the KCII app, starting with the Countdown to Tip-Off at 5:30.