Thursday at Fleetwood Park Secondary in Surrey, the Pitt Meadows Marauders faced the frightening prospect of seeing their season end before the “big dance.”

The Marauders had to beat Surrey’s Tamanawis Wildcats in order to qualify for the B.C. senior boys Triple A basketball championships.

The loser of the Pitt Meadows-Tamanawis showdown was done for the season.

The winner earned a coveted spot amongst the Fraser Valley final eight advancing to the provincial championships at the Langley Events Centre.

The Marauders won by 20 points, 59-39, to extend their season into mid-March.

After qualifying, the Marauders set foot on hallowed basketball ground (a.k.a. the LEC hardcourt) on Friday, and suffered a letdown, falling 55-43 to the Enver Creek Cougars.

The loss meant the Marauders faced Port Coquitlam’s Terry Fox Ravens Saturday afternoon at the LEC to decide the seventh and eighth seeds from the Fraser Valley.

The Ravens edged the Marauders 60-57, which meant Pitt Meadows enters the B.C.’s as the Valley’s lowest seed.

Earlier, in Fraser Valley qualifying play, the Marauders eliminated Johnston Heights with a 97-64 win Feb. 20 at Pitt Meadows Secondary, then lost 81-57 to Terry Fox on Feb. 22 at Yale Secondary in Abbotsford.

The Marauders advanced to the Fraser Valley championships opening round with a 65-59 win over Fraser Heights on Feb. 25 at Yale Secondary.

Along with the Marauders and Terry Fox Ravens, the Sardis Falcons, Enver Creek Cougars, W.J. Mouat Hawks, Yale Lions, White Rock Christian Warriors, and Walnut Grove Gators all advanced to the provincials as at the top eight teams from the Fraser Valley.