The Fort Dodge basketball programs look to finish off 2024 strong with two games this week.

First, the Dodgers host long-time rival Mason City on Tuesday night. They follow that up with a road trip to Marshalltown on Friday.

Action both nights will start at 6:15 p.m. with the varsity girls contest while the boys follow at approximately 7:45 p.m.

Scott Messerly and the FDSH girls (2-3 overall, 0-1 in the Iowa Alliance North) enter off a tough two-point setback to Waterloo East in a game played at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. Junior forward LJ Maehl currently leads the way at 18 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, with senior guard Meah McCaleb adding nine points, six rebounds and four assists.

For the Riverhawks (2-2, 0-0), returning starters Zaria Falls and Machaela Trask are both double-digit scorers. Mason City has alternated wins and losses this year, besting Des Moines North (66-6) and Des Moines Hoover (61-7) around losses to Waterloo West and seventh-ranked (Class 4A) Gilbert.

The Marshalltown girls (4-1, 0-0) have started the year strong with wins over Des Moines Hoover, Des Moines East, Des Moines Lincoln and South Tama around a 41-15 loss to Newton. Sydney Kapayou and Frankie Long are the leading scorers for the Bobcats.

The Fort Dodge boys (0-4, 0-1) are still looking for win No. 1 on the season after suffering a 71-39 loss to Waterloo East last Thursday night at Wells Fargo Arena. Prior to that, the Dodgers had lost their first three games by a combined 27 points.

Senior Cade Westerhoff is averaging a team-high 14 points, with classmate Carter Woodruff at 11 and junior Hayden Zuspann 10. Kauner Jensen, a junior, is averaging seven rebounds a night. Woodruff adds six assists.

The Riverhawks (1-1, 0-0) have split games with Des Moines North and Hoover, besting the Huskies, 64-51. Six-foot-5 power forward Andrew Novak averages 18.5 points and 13.5 rebounds per contest, with Marcele Whitner and Ty Sanchez-Evans adding 8.5 and eight points, respectively.

Marshalltown (2-2, 0-0) picked up wins over Hoover and East after losing to Newton and Lincoln to begin the season. Returning standout Kyle Smith averaging almost 20 points and seven rebounds per game.