The Pioneer High School boys basketball team was huddling during a fourth quarter timeout when a score from across town was announced. Chelsea had upset Huron, 66-65.

Pioneer coach Rex Stanczak stopped in mid-sentence, exchanged a surprised glance with his players and returned to putting the finishing touches on Tuesday night’s 62-55 win over Lincoln.

Yes, indeed, Friday night’s big rivalry showdown had just gotten a little more interesting.

Before Tuesday night, Huron was 6-2 and looked like a clear-cut favorite to finally wrestle the Southeastern Conference Red Division title from Pioneer. The Pioneers, who now have a chance to take a two-game lead in the standings, were 3-3 and still forming an inexperienced varsity group into shape.

Of course, nobody was taking the Pioneers lightly. They are, after all, 55-4 in SEC play over the past five years for a reason. And they got better since 6-foot-7 James Kelly became eligible and has led the team in scoring in both games he’s played.

Over at Huron, Chelsea was writing a script for what it takes to beat the long, athletic and talented River Rats. You have to have a deep rotation (as Pioneer does), so you don’t get worn out by their full court pressure. And you have to be well coached (as Pioneer is), to properly space your passing lanes against the trap.

But something else that happened at Huron might be a better indicator of things to come. Down 13 at the end of three quarters, a desperate Huron team cut that lead to three over the first four minutes of the fourth.

Play with urgency the entire game, so you don’t have to play with desperation at the end. That’s a mantra Huron coach Waleed Samaha has been preaching all season. And it was never more true than Tuesday night.

Something tells me the River Rats will play with a little more urgency over the first three quarters during the game on Friday night, which tips off at 6 p.m. They still might need a little desperation against the Pioneers, too, but my first prediction of the week is: Huron 64, Pioneer 61

Agree? Disagree? Play along with this and the rest of this week’s picks by selecting your winners in the polls below.

MORE BOYS GAMES Pontiac Notre Dame Prep at Father Gabriel Richard: Both teams are 3-0 in Catholic High School League division play. Six-foot-6 sophomore center Kellen McCormick, the son of former University of Michigan and NBA player Tim McCormick, leads Notre Dame. Gabriel Richard, 54-48

Saline at Monroe: The Hornets (3-6) have won two straight while holding their opponents to 30 or fewer points. Monroe is still looking for its first SEC Red win. Saline, 57-52

Dexter at Adrian: Both teams are 2-2 in the SEC White, so the winner stays on the heels of division leaders Ypsilanti and Chelsea while the loser falls into the bottom half of the standings. Dexter, 46-40

Lincoln at Chelsea: A week in which Chelsea lost one it probably shouldn’t have (vs. Adrian) and won one it wasn’t expected to (vs. Huron) has left the Bulldogs right where they started: A half-game behind Ypsilanti in the SEC White standings. Chelsea, 60-54

Milan at Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central: The Big Reds started the season 0-4, but are now one of only two 3-0 teams in Huron League play. The competition level kicks up a notch with St. Mary (4-4, 2-1). St. Mary, 49-44

GIRLS GAMES Huron at Pioneer: Not to be outdone by the boys game, the girls will headline Friday’s varsity doubleheader. And it’s a matchup worthy of headlining. In this game, it’s Huron (8-3, 5-0) that can take a two-game lead over Pioneer (6-2, 4-1) in the SEC Red standings. The River Rats are 5-0 against Pioneer since joining the SEC, winning those games by an average of 17.2 points. Huron, 59-48

Adrian at Dexter: The host Dreadnaughts (7-4, 4-2) look to be the only team with a realistic shot of catching Adrian (8-2, 6-0) in the SEC White race. After Friday, that may become more unrealistic. Adrian, 46-39

Saline at Monroe: Saline has won three straight to even its record at 5-5 and had the week off to prepare for the Trojans, who are coming off back-to-back wins over Pioneer and Dexter. Monroe, 55-48

Season: 18-7 (.720). Last week: 6-3 (.667). Best pick: Father Gabriel Richard 58, Madison Heights Bishop Foley 49 (Richard boys won, 59-46). Worst pick: Chelsea 60, Adrian 45 (Adrian boys won, 48-41).

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Rich Rezler covers high school sports for AnnArbor.com. Contact him at 734-623-2565 or richrezler@annarbor.com.