Ahead of Saturday’s Substate showdown, the Pella Christian boys basketball team is playing their best hoops of the season.

It was only 19 days ago that the team posed a lot more questions than answers about their playoff destinations, finding themselves mired in a five-game losing streak that saw the Eagles fail to defend their home court against Knoxville and Oskaloosa in heart breakers.

But instead of snapping, Pella Christian willed themselves from 8-9 to 12-9 in a week’s time against top-flight competition, and have crushed all in their way this postseason to the tune of a seven-game winning streak.

Coach Larry Hessing says they’ve found their identity on both sides of the basketball, but he’s also well aware that teams will throw everything they have against his surging team as they get deeper in the tournaments.

Pella Christian will look to make it back-to-back trips to the Well Saturday night in Fairfield, when they face West Burlington in the Substate round at 7 p.m., a game that can be heard live on 92.1 KRLS.