When you have won only one of 15 games, every loss is painful. For the Oak Harbor High School boys basketball team, the latest setback will ache a little bit more than usual.

The Wildcats lost 59-57 in overtime at Everett Thursday, Jan. 21.

It was the third time in five Wesco North games Oak Harbor was edged in a nail-biter. The Wildcats have also dropped three close non-league games.

The Everett game was tight throughout with the Seagulls holding a slight advantage at the quarter breaks: 13-12, 29-26, 41-39.

Oak Harbor, however, led by three with less than a minute remaining. Everett’s Chris Bell tied the game by hitting a contested three-pointer on an in-bounds play with 15 seconds left.

The Wildcats turned the ball over but got it back when Sean Erskine took a charge with 4.5 seconds remaining. Oak Harbor drove the length of the floor, but a pass to an open shooter slid out of bounds.

Everett took an early lead in overtime, then a hoop by Taeson Hardin and free throws by Dyllan Harris helped the ‘Cats cut the lead to two.

Oak Harbor had the final possession, but Harris’s three-pointer for the win was off mark.

“I thought the guys played really good team ball,” coach John Weston said. “Everyone was able to contribute. I thought we had standout defensive performances by (Ozell) Jackson, (Sean) Erskine, Hardin and (Savion) Hollins-Passmore.

“And Hardin really bounced back offensively for us. He was huge, showing some incredible maturity for only being a sophomore with his willingness to take and finish big shots at the end of a important game.”

Harris paced the Wildcats with 16 points; Hardin added 14, Erskine seven, Adam Nelson six, Jackson four, Diangelo McKinney three, Preston Rankin three, Josh Cote two and Hollins-Passmore two.

Bell scored a game-high 26 for the Seagulls (3-2, 6-9).

Oak Harbor (0-5, 1-14) begins the second round of division games when it goes to North leader Stanwood (5-0, 11-4) at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 26.