The Mount Si girls basketball team grabbed a late lead against Nathan Hale, but couldn’t hold on in the season’s final game.

The Metro League’s Raiders won, 41-37, in a hard-fought contest last Tuesday, Feb. 24, in the first round of the SeaKing District Tournament at Mount Si High School. The game ended the Wildcats season with a 11-13 record.

“This one is going to sting for a while,” said a disappointed Mount Si coach Dirk Hansen. “We just had the lead right there, and then all the sudden we just coughed up the ball and panicked.

“I feel bad for my two seniors, but with that being said, I’m proud of how hard we fought during the game,” Hansen added.

Junior Karly Thompson was stunned.

“We tried really hard,” she said. “We were in that game. We probably could have played a little better, but I just love playing with these girls. I’m really sad that it’s over.”

The intensely-fought contest saw Nathan Hale take the lead from the outset, but Mount Si’s defense played tough, forcing numerous Raider missed shots and turnovers. The Wildcats kept close throughout the first half, going into halftime down by just two, 16-14.

Nathan Hale then came out and opened on a 9-0 run to start the second half. It looked as if they were seizing the edge, but Mount Si was not fazed. Traci Nelson, Kassidy Maddux and Caitie Richards scored baskets down the stretch in the third quarter to help the Wildcats creep back to within five at 31-26, going to the final period. Nelson finished with 10 points to lead the Wildcats.

Mount Si’s defense intensified in the fourth quarter, further hampering Nathan Hale’s offense.

The Wildcat offense, led by Jordyn Wilson, whittled away at Nathan Hale’s lead. A pair of baskets from Wilson pulled the team to within one, 33-32.

With two minutes left in regulation, Mount Si’s Stevie Riley hit her biggest three-pointer of the season to put the Wildcats up 37-35.

As the clock ticked away at the last minute, Callie Mah proved to be the Nathan Hale’s heroine, taking two Mount Si turnovers and turning both of them into points with baskets to give the Raiders the lead one last time.

Riley took another shot at being the Wildcat savior, but it missed.

Nathan Hale’s Alison O’Leary finished it off with a pair of free throws, sealing Mount Si’s fate.

Wilson and Riley each finished with six points each. O’Leary finished with 10 points while Mah ended up with eight for the Raiders.

Guard Aubrey Larion said she and her teammates learned some valuable lessons from the defeat.

“We’ll remember that you have to try your hardest throughout the whole game, and not keep it ‘til the end,” Larion said.

Mount Si will now take some time off, then get back to work this summer, when the summer ball circuit starts up. Hansen is excited about what lies ahead.

“We did our best with what I consider to be a very young and inexperienced group. With that being said, the future certainly looks bright,” he said.

Thompson also is looking forward to the future ahead.

“We have most of the team back, so it’s going to be good chemistry between all of us,” she said. “I think we’ll step it up to the next level.”