It’s been nearly ten years since the Pella girls basketball team has lost to Oskaloosa. While the No. 11 Dutch hope to open the new year and keep it that way, it could be the toughest opponent from their foes down Highway 163 in close to a decade.

Oskaloosa has opened the winter season at 6-2 and last winter made the second matchup between the two teams close, and many of those players have been key to one of the best starts in Indians girls basketball history. Oskaloosa is paced by Junior Presley Blommers and her 17.8 points per game — 2nd best in the Little Hawkeye Conference.

Their mix of threats inside and out and overall improvement make Oskaloosa a far more dangerous team than they have been for several years, and Pella Head Coach Blaine Forsythe knows if Pella wants to have success in their return from break, they have to pick up where they left off before the calendar change.

Coverage of Pella vs. Oskaloosa girls basketball begins as part of a varsity doubleheader at Pella High School Tuesday on the KRLS2 stream and Pella Dutch Live YouTube channel.