The Mount Si girls basketball team went into last week’s SeaKing District Tournament with the best chance to make state in 14 years. However, after two losses, the goal that had been nearly nine months in the making was not realized.

The Wildcats last Tuesday, February 15, faced Seattle Prep with that trip to state on the line. Considering Mount Si was coming off a bye as a result of winning the Kingco Tournament, and Seattle Prep was coming in as Metro’s #5 seed, one would have assumed on paper this would be the Wildcats’ time to shine. But a key to that was shutting down the Panthers’ top player, Kari Luttinen, and that turned out to be a difficult challenge for Mount Si.

Luttinen scored 27 as Prep opened the game with the lead and maintained it throughout in a 52-43 win at Bellevue College. “We just showed that we weren’t mentally tough tonight,” said an unhappy Wildcat coach Megan Botulinski. ”We knew exactly what to expect. We prepped for it and we didn’t execute.”

Mount Si was also frustrated by tough Panther defense, which limited the Wildcats’ two top seniors, Hailey Eddings and Jori Braun, to a combined 10 points (Eddings with eight, Braun with two). Post play picked up the slack, though, as Shelby Peerboom led the Wildcats with 11 points, followed by Kassidy Maddux’s 10. Haley Chase added 12 boards, 10 on offense to lead in that category. Even with all that, though, Prep was able to get a number of second chance opportunities they took full advantage of as the game progressed.

The Wildcats rallied a number of times in the second half, but could not get the game tied up. Seattle Prep pulled away late, and clinched a state berth. Mount Si was relegated to the loser’s bracket, and another upset earlier last Tuesday in the tournament changed things greatly for the Wildcats. Mercer Island, coming in as Kingco’s #4 seed, was down as many as 12 points late in their contest with defending state champion Cleveland, but rallied and pulled off a shocking upset, sending the Eagles also into the loser’s bracket. Cleveland had been expected to make it to the district finals; instead, the Eagles met Mount Si for all the marbles last Friday, February 18. “When I was in high school, I got the opportunity to play at state four years in a row (with Cascade of Leavenworth) and it’s a long season, it’s a stressful season. I personally understand that. But if you want it hard enough, you’re going to go do it,” Botulinski said.

And it appeared initially that would be the case, as Mount Si held the lead after one. But Cleveland dominated quarters two and three and rolled to a 67-51 win which ended the Wildcats’ season at 17-7. Maddux scored 13 and Peerboom added 11. “We have a lot to be proud of.,” Botulinski said. “And although I’ll have big spots to fill next year, I think my juniors and sophomores will be ready for it.”