The real fun is about to start.

The La Conner High School basketball teams, which wrapped up regular season play Jan. 31 with close losses at Mount Vernon Christian, open bi-district tournament action at home this week.

The La Conner boys, No. 3 seed on their side of the tourney, will host Orcas Island at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13 at Landy James Gym.

The winner of the La Conner-Orcas Island boys’ game will advance on Saturday to play either No. 7 Summit Atlas or No. 2 Auburn Adventist. The higher-seeded team will host the matchup.

The Braves’ boys finished their regular season slate 11-9 overall, 8-2 in conference, with both NW2B/1B losses to top seed MVC. Orcas Island is 5-15 in all contests and 2-8 in NW2B/1B play.

La Conner defeated the Vikings 76-69 at home on Dec. 17 and 56-55 in a Jan. 28 game at Orcas.

The Vikings’ win-loss record is a bit misleading, as seven of their losses were decided by single digits. Because of that, La Conner head coach Lance Lopez said his club will be laser-focused for the Vikings.

“We’ve been in the gym working hard,” said Lopez, who’s in his second year at the Braves helm. “Now it’s time to get to work on our game plan for Orcas.

“Being the No. 3 seed puts us on the opposite side of the bracket as the No. 1 seed,” Lopez noted. 

That means the Braves wouldn’t see the No. 1 team until the bi-district championship game.

“For us,” Lopez added, “it’s one game at a time. We just have to put together good plans for each game. And put a run together.”

At 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, the second seeded La Conner girls, will face the winner of a first round Friday Harbor-Orcas Island matchup in the San Juans slated for Thursday, Feb. 13.

Third year La Conner girls’ head coach Joe Harper, whose team went 11-10 overall and 7-3 in league, is excited for his young team — there are no seniors on the roster — to make a run in the post-season.

“We were fortunate enough to be the No. 2 seed,” he said, “so we get a home game this Saturday. I feel like we took a step forward with the MVC result in our final game.”

He referred to a last second 58-56 Mount Vernon Christian win over La Conner, a game decided by an iffy late foul call on the Lady Braves.

“It was a loss,” Harper conceded, “but we competed and hung with a Top Five (in the state) program until the final buzzer. I’m really hoping we can carry some of that momentum forward and compete the way we’re capable of. If we do that, we’ll put ourselves in a position to move on.” 

Should the La Conner girls win their Saturday bi-district game they will play again Feb. 20 at Coupeville against a yet-to-be-determined opponent.