The rivalry between the Jefferson City Jays and the Helias Crusaders returns to the hardwood tonight.
The first game of the home-and-home series between the two teams will take place at 7 p.m. at Rackers Fieldhouse.
The freshman game starts tonight's tripleheader at 4:30 p.m., followed by the JV game around 5:30 p.m.
Helias has won 10 of its last 12 meetings against Jefferson City and currently owns a three-game winning streak in the series. The Crusaders won 59-48 against the Jays in last season's matchup at Fleming Fieldhouse.
The Jays (8-7) enter the game winning two of their last three games, most recently beating Waynesville 43-37 last Tuesday at home.
This will be the third road game of the season for Jefferson City, which opened the season with a 76-58 win at Sedalia Smith-Cotton and lost 67-64 last month at Battle.
Junior guard Brennan Jeffries has topped the Jays in scoring in nine of their 15 games, leading the team with 16.2 points per game. He has scored in double figures 12 times this season.
Ben Folz has also frequently scored in double figures, averaging 11.2 points per game. Sterling DeSha, Ryan Brooks and Rayvon Webster are all averaging between seven and nine points per game for Jefferson City.
The Crusaders (7-6) enter tonight's game with a five-game winning streak after starting the season with a 2-6 record. In its last time on the court, Helias knocked off Class 4 No. 7 Rolla for a 53-48 road win last Thursday.
This will be just the second home game this season for Helias, which lost 66-57 to Father Tolton last month at Rackers Fieldhouse.
Senior guard Ben Cooper leads the Crusaders in scoring with 15.5 points per game. He has scored in double figures in each of his team's last nine games and led Helias in scoring six times this season.
Jake VanLoo is averaging around 11 points per game and Nick Brandt is right at 10 points per game for the Crusaders.
Jefferson City will host Helias on Feb. 12 as part of a varsity doubleheader with a girls game to wrap up the home-and-home series.