Basketball Game Preview: Ely Timberwolves vs. Marshall Hilltoppers

Ely hasn't had much luck against Marshall recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Ely Timberwolves are taking a road trip to square off against the Marshall Hilltoppers at 7:00 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both will really light up the scoreboard.

Marshall is hoping to do what Hill City/Northland couldn't on Saturday: put an end to Ely's winning streak, which now stands at five games. Ely put the hurt on Hill City/Northland with a sharp 57-31 victory. The Timberwolves have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won four matchups by 26 points or more this season.

Meanwhile, after a string of four wins, Marshall's good fortune finally ran out on Saturday. They lost to Minnehaha Academy at home by a 88-69 margin. While losing is never fun, the Hilltoppers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Minnesota basketball rankings (they are ranked 72nd, while the Red Hawks are ranked 15th).

Ely has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven contests, which provided a nice bump to their 7-3 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 63.9 points per game. As for Marshall, their defeat ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 10-5.

Ely took a serious blow against Marshall in their previous meeting back in January of 2024, falling 89-62. Can Ely avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.