For the fourth time in the last five years, Pella Christian and Pekin will square off tonight in the class 2A regional girls basketball tournament.

It’s an opening round contest and features the age old question for the Eagles. Despite their 3-18 record, will the brutal Little Hawkeye Conference regular season give them an edge against the 9-12 Panthers who played a much easier schedule comprised primarily of smaller schools?

Pella Christian has won the last two postseason meetings against Pekin, and coach Brad Engbers said after their regular season finale Thursday against Pella that they’ll have to play well to make it three in a row.

“You’ve gotta shoot the ball well, obviously. We have to get our offense going. Our defense, we can come out and do that well when we’re playing with the intensity that we had tonight. But we have to hit shots.”

Expect a low scoring game tonight, as both teams average in the mid 30s offensively on the season.

Game time is at 7:00 at Pekin High School. Trevor Castle and Wynne Veenstra will call the action live on 92.1 KRLS, beginning with pregame coverage at 6:30.