■ SPRINGFIELD: The No. 2 Millers (13-1) have two games this week. On Tuesday, the Millers travel to their rival, No. 18 Thurston (5-8). On Friday, the Millers host No. 29 Ashland (3-11). It would be a shock if they were to lose their perfect Midwestern League record, and their 12-game win streak this week.
■ THURSTON: The No. 18 Colts (5-8) have two games this week against No. 2 Springfield (13-1) and No. 15 Mountain View (7-5) on Tuesday and Friday, respectively. The Colts are looking to end their skid, as they’ve lost three games in a row and have gone 1-6 since Dec. 21. For that to happen, the Colts must open strong in these games and assert dominance on the glass. If they can win the rebounding battle, the Colts can be a dangerous team.
■ COTTAGE GROVE: The No. 14 Lions (10-5) have one game this week against No. 6 Marist (8-3). The Lions are 2-1 in Sky Em League play, and are third in that league behind No. 4 North Bend (13-2) and the Spartans, respectively. A win over the Spartans would jump the Lions to second in the Sky Em League, and could potentially vault the Lions back in the Top 10 of the Class 4A state rankings as well.
■ CRESWELL: The No. 8 Bulldogs have two games this week against No. 13 Harrisburg (13-4) and No. 21 Elmira (9-6) on Wednesday and Friday, respectively. The Bulldogs have lost their past two games and will be looking to bounce back. The Bulldogs haven’t lost three games in a row all season. If they want that to remain true, they must limit second-chance points for Harrisburg. The Bulldogs allowed 22 offensive rebounds against No. 8 Cascade last week in a game they lost by one point in overtime.
■ PLEASANT HILL: The No. 4 Billies (13-3) play No. 43 La Pine (3-12) and No. 5 Sisters (13-3) this week on Wednesday and Friday, respectively. Getting a win over the Outlaws would be huge for the Billies as they have been side-by-side in the Class 3A state rankings for most of the season. Now, the teams are also first and second in the Mountain Valley Conference as well. The winner of this game likely will be the favorite to win the MVC.
– Seth Thompson, The Chronicle
