The Area Game of the Week returns for the third night in a row tonight with a Johnson County showdown in Lone Tree when the Hillcrest Academy Ravens flock to the Tree House to take on the home Lions.

The Lady Lions of Lone Tree are 6-2 overall and 4-2 in the SEISC North after a road win at Louisa-Muscatine before the holiday break. Finley Jacque finished as the leading Lady Lion with 16 points, while Ava Christofferson had 13. Lone Tree scores nearly 55 points-per-game, and gives up 39, shooting over 33 percent from the floor, 19 percent from three and 49.6 percent from the line. The Lady Lions are particularly strong on the defensive side, with almost 16 steals and four blocks a contest. Individually, Jacque leads the way with 15 points, 4.3 steals and 3.4 assists per game.

The Hillcrest girls return to the Area Game of the Week after their first game back from break last night against Louisa-Muscatine. Hillcrest is 5-3 overall and 3-3 in the SEISC. This season, the Ravens score 52 points-per-game, and give up 45, shooting over 32 percent from the field, 24 percent from three and 48 percent at the stripe. Hillcrest matches Lone Tree with their 36.4 rebounds a night, and poke away almost 17 steals a contest. Claire Withrow puts up a SEISC North-best 18.8 points-per-game, while Malia Yoder leads the Ravens with her 5.8 steals and 3.6 assists an outing.

Lone Tree leads the girls’ series 27-6 dating back to 2009, and has beaten Hillcrest in the last nine matchups.

The Lone Tree boys will look to nab a statement home victory tonight, as they come into play 2-5 overall and 2-4 in the Superconference. The Lions lost their third game by less than 10 points this season against Louisa-Muscatine in their final contest before the holiday break 79-76. Emmett Burke had a monster night, though, scoring 35 points and passing out 11 assists in the loss to the Falcons. Lone Tree scores 56 points-per-game, and gives up 59, shooting 42.6 percent from the field, 30 percent from three and over 57 percent from the charity stripe. The Lions pull down over 26 rebounds a contest thanks to Reece Holbrook’s 6.3 boards a game. 

The Hillcrest boys returned to action last night against Louisa-Muscatine and came away with the win 71-63 to move to 8-1 overall and 6-1 in conference play. Hillcrest scores over 64 points-per-game, and gives up 38, shooting a Class 1A best 52.7 percent from the floor, 30.6 percent from three and over 60 percent at the line. The Ravens record more than 17 assists and 11 steals a contest, both best in the SEISC North. Hillcrest sports four players that average over 10 points a night, and leading the charge is Seth Ours with 15.8.

Hillcrest leads the boys’ series 20-15 dating back to 2009, and have won the previous two games.

You can hear tonight’s Area Game of the Week doubleheader between Hillcrest and Lone Tree streaming exclusively online at KCIIRadio.com on the KCII3 Stream, beginning with pregame coverage of the girls game at 4, tipoff at 4:30, and coverage of the boys game to follow from Lone Tree High School.