The Jackson County Central boys basketball team is seeking a return to the State Tournament in a Top 10 showdown on Thursday night in Marshall. 

The South sub-section champion Huskies will play the North champ Montevideo in the Section 3AA Championship with the winner going to State.

JCC rallied from a 12-point halftime deficit to beat Luverne by a dozen on Saturday. Monte held off Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta to avenge an upset loss from last year’s tournament. 

Huskies head coach Alex Hein says they need to keep their heads on straight and be ready to go. 

The fifth-ranked Huskies and tenth-ranked Thunder Hawks are both 24-4 overall as they enter the title game. JCC beat Monte 63-55 on December 30 for a fourth straight win in the series with three of them coming on the court at SMSU. 

Coach Hein says the Thunder Hawks are similar to last year’s Huskies trying to complete the climb back to the biggest stage. 

COACH INTERVIEW 

Montevideo last made the State Tournament in 2009. 

Our coverage begins at around 4:45 with tip-off scheduled for 5:00 p.m in Marshall. 

Tickets must be purchased digitally in advance here for Thursday night’s game.