It’s pretty simple, really. If the Blue Hawk boys win in Eureka on Saturday in the regular season finale for both teams, Thompson Falls is in the Western B divisional basketball tournament March 5-7.

On the other hand, if coach Jake Mickelson and his Hawks lose in Eureka, the Sanders County rival Plains Horsemen will be awarded District 7B’s final spot into the Western B and the Blue Hawks will be sent packing for the season.

Mickelson fully realizes the gravity of the situation and is putting all his basketball eggs in one basket. “This is the District 7B championship game as far as we are concerned,” he said. "We are going to treat it like a tournament game where our season is on the line because, really, it is with the way things are this year.”

That way things are this year is there will be no District 7B tournament, a well discussed fact that has raised questions from coaches in all corners of the conference these past few months. And Mickelson doesn’t want his Hawks to be the ones left on the outside looking in when the Western B tournament rolls around.

Defeating Eureka will not be an easy task. Although the Lions have struggled some in non-conference games they have been spot-on in 7B action, building a 7-0 league record. After splitting non-conference games last week, falling 65-39 to the Falcons in Florence Friday before returning to Thompson Falls Saturday and defeating the visiting Deer Lodge Wardens 56-51, the Hawks are 2-5 in conference play and 5-12 overall.

At Florence, Mickelson said the Hawks started out cold and the Falcons took advantage. “We didn’t shoot well and fell behind early,” he said. "And Florence is a tough team to come back on, they are athletic and long, fast and physical,” he added of the Falcons, who have been ranked in Class B’s top ten most of the season.

Ethan Burgess led the Hawks in Florence with 13 points, four reboundS, two assists and three steals, Brylon VanElswyk just missed a double double with nine points and 10 rebounds, also adding three steals and an assist, Landon Baird added seven points, four rebounds, an assist and three steals, Kellen LeCoure fought off foul troubles to post five

points, seven rebounds, three assists and a steal, Teagan Dorscher added three points and a rebound, and Alex Newman two points and a rebound.

Brody Duchien led Florence with 15 points, Brennan Meinhold added 13, and Wes Potter and Koa Laasch nine apiece.

The Hawks got off to hot start against Deer Lodge as LeCoure hit three 3-pointers and freshman Tristan Kelly two as Thompson Falls built a 19-8 lead in the first quarter. Although the Wardens stayed close the rest of the way, the Hawks made the plays they needed to make down the stretch to secure the victory.

LeCoure finished the game with 16 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and four steals to lead the Hawks to the win, VanElswyk was good for 11 points, three boards, an assist and three steals, Baird for 10 points, four rebounds, an assist and three steals, Burgess eight points, four rebounds, five assists and four steals, Kelly six points, three rebounds and five assists, Jason Myers three points, an assist and a steal, and Jacob Howell two points, a rebound and two steals.