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(NewsDakota.com) The Oakes High School basketball teams are hoping for some early Christmas gifts on Friday night when they visit the Ellendale Cardinals; the first wins of the year for the girls and boys squads.

The girls of Oakes are 0-2 to start the year, and came up just short on Tuesday evening against Britton-Hecla South Dakota 48-46. Ellendale is 1-1, earning their first win Thursday night at Strasburg/Zeeland 61-41. Friday night’s game is the first at home for the year for the Cardinals, while the Tornadoes are on the road for the first time this season.

Following the girls contest is the 67th playing of the Cowbell Game between the Oakes and Ellendale boys teams. Oakes won the Cowbell in 2011 for the third time since the year 2000 with a 52-51 overtime victory. The Tornadoes are 0-4 so far this season, their most recent game; a 79-53 defeat by Britton-Hecla South Dakota on Tuesday evening. For Ellendale, they have lost their last two, and stand at 2-3 including a 77-42 loss at LaMoure/Litchville-Marion on Tuesday night.

Coverage on KDDR 1220 AM/95.9 FM and NewsDakota.com starts around 5:45 Friday evening, with tip of the girls game set for 6, and the boys game to follow 20 minutes after.