For the first time, the Melcher-Dallas and Twin Cedars basketball teams will hold their annual Coaches vs. Cancer basketball games as a collaborative effort, as the Saints and Sabers meet in Bussey tonight. Melcher-Dallas girls’ head basketball coach Jon Suntken says while both teams are certainly looking forward to the competition on the court, it’s also an important night for both communities to come together for a greater cause.

“There’s a lot more important things than basketball, and I think this shows that not only the schools, but the kids themselves understand that also,” said Suntken. “There’s a lot of people that know someone with cancer, so it’s in the forefront of peoples’ minds right now, and it’s a really good cause.”

The Melcher-Dallas girls notched a win over Twin Cedars early in the season, and will be facing the Sabers in back-to-back games, as tonight’s contest also serves as a preview of their first-round tournament match-up. In the nightcap, Sabers’ head coach Alan Stewart says he expects a tightly-contested game between the Marion County rivals.

“We’re looking forward to the game, and I know Melcher-Dallas is looking forward to the game. I know it’s going to be a close game all the way through,” said Stewart. “It’s not going to be one team winning by 20 points – that’s not going to happen. I just hope we’re the lucky team to have the win on the other side. We’re just looking for a fun night and hope things go our way.”

The Coaches vs. Cancer events begin at 5:00 p.m. tonight at Twin Cedars High School with a soup supper, along with additional fundraisers. Tip-off of the girls game is set for 6:15 p.m.

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