Oak Harbor kept up with one of the Western Conference’s top teams for a while, but host Everett steadily pulled away after the first period for a 61-27 win Friday, Dec. 16.

The Seagulls (3-1, 5-1) owned only a 12-8 lead after the first period but outscored Oak Harbor by at least nine points in each following quarter to win going away. They held a 26-13 bulge at the break and a 45-26 margin after three periods.

Oak Harbor coach Trisha Clayville liked her team’s “intensity and effort” coming off an uneven performance against Shorewood two days earlier.

She said, “We did much better on the boards, especially without Ciera (Wiser), who is gone for the remainder of the break. Kelsey Rankin stepped up to fill that spot at the post.

“Annie (Leete) continues to get better at the point and Natalie Fiallos, who we brought up from JV for two quarters, played very well.”

Turnovers, which have haunted Oak Harbor all season, hurt the Wildcats again. “Other than that,” Clayville said, “we competed well.

The Wildcats finished with 38 turnovers to only 13 for the Seagulls.

Everett used the Oak Harbor mistakes to earn nearly twice as many shots as the ‘Cats, hitting 25 of 62 for 40 percent. Oak Harbor converted only nine of 33 for 27 percent.

Dominique Jackson topped Oak Harbor with nine points. Leete and Morgan Young had five each, Marissa Lewis added three, Fiallos two, Rayan Russell two and Rankin one. Russell also pulled down eight boards and Leete five.

Oak Harbor (0-4, 1-5) heads to Meadowdale (1-3, 1-4)Tuesday, Dec. 20, and returns home Thursday, Dec. 22, with Mountlake Terrace (1-5, 1-6) at 7:15 p.m.