Eureka starts off with Loyola

The good news for the Eureka boys' basketball team is that the defending divisional champion and fifth-ranked team in Class B - Seeley-Swan (17-3) - is in the opposite bracket.

The bad news is the Lions open Western B divisional play today against an equally-talented foe in No. 7 Loyola Sacred Heart. That game also starts the three-day tournament at Linderman Gym in Polson at 1 p.m.

Sacred Heart is enjoying a banner season with a 17-3 record, while Eureka enters with a 4-16 mark.

The top two divisional teams advance to the state tournament in Belgrade, Feb. 28-March 1.

Seeley-Swan and Sacred Heart were last year's two Western B divisional state representatives.

Eureka is coming off a strong showing at the District 8-B tournament last week, also in Polson.

"We were leading both games with under a minute left against teams we were blown out by 20 points (to earlier)," Eureka coach Chad Dunn said.

"That shows how far we have come."

Dunn said now it's just a matter of his players believing they can do it.

"Everybody is healthy, ready to roll," he said.

"Hopefully, we will surprise Loyola a little bit."

Eureka and Loyola did not play during the regular season. Eureka did lose to Seeley-Swan back in December, 80-41. The Lions were missing two key players for that contest.

Injuries and illness forced Dunn to juggle his lineup for the majority of the campaign. Marcus Pluid, a 6-foot-9 junior center, missed six weeks with a wrist injury and another two with the flu. He's averaging eight points per game.

"It's been a rough season for him," Dunn said.

Pluid is back and, more importantly, he's healthy.

John Davis, 6-8 senior post, leads Eureka with 12 points and 10 rebounds per game.

Rounding out the starting lineup for Eureka are Chad Price, 5-9 sophomore guard; Josiah Begay, 6-1 sophomore guard; and Ben Dechart, 6-0 junior guard.

Tanner Newell, 6-2 senior guard, is the first player off the bench.

Begay is the only Lion to have played in every game this season.

Boys

Western B

Divisional

Polson

At Linderman Gym

Today

Opening Round

1 p.m. - Missoula Loyola Sacred Heart (17-3) vs. Eureka (4-16)

2:30 - Deer Lodge (13-9) vs. Troy (7-13)

6:30 - Thompson Falls (15-5) vs. Valley Christian (8-14)

8 - Plains (13-7) vs. Seeley-Swan (17-3)