Call this weekend a tale of two seasons. After the men’s basketball team’s 88-84 home victory over Tennessee State, Thursday night, the Panthers remain alive in their quest to capture the fourth seed in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.

A win Saturday at home, coupled will losses by Austin Peay and Tennessee State would net Eastern a first-round home game in the tournament. If the Panthers lose Saturday, they’ll still make the playoffs, but won’t get to return to Lantz Arena, where the fans generate a significant home-court advantage.

However, it’s kind of hard to imagine Eastern slinking into the playoffs after last season, in which the Panther’s finished the regular season second in the OVC and went on to defeat Austin Peay in the OVC Championship game.

Nostalgia-crazed fans will have an opportunity to relive last year’s dramatic 21-point comeback this Sunday. ESPN Classic is replaying the game at 11 a.m. on Sunday.

Those who aren’t content to live in the past will have to leave their couches and come to Lantz Saturday night. The game, starting at 7 p.m., will be broadcast on WEIU-TV, but not until 9 p.m.

The true fans should embark on Lantz Arena and cheer the Panthers on, because if the team is successful, there’s a good chance those fans will be rewarded with another home game to watch.

To succeed in their last grasp at home-court advantage Eastern will have to defeat, the conference-leading Golden Eagles of Tennessee Tech, who bring a 14-1 conference record with them to Lantz.

It hasn’t been easy for Eastern this season. Kyle Hill, selected in the second round of the NBA draft, was an integral part of last year’s team and he helped lead the team’s huge comeback in the conference game.

In Hill’s absence junior guard Henry Domercant has stepped up and improved his game, which says a lot considering he finished fourth in the nation in scoring last year.

Now it’s time for the fans, who have been great the past two seasons, to step up as well. Show up Saturday and help earn yourself another trip to Lantz.