Someone forgot to tell the Wildcats they weren’t supposed to hang around.

Heavily favored Mountlake Terrace defeated the host Oak Harbor High School boys basketball team 69-57 Friday, Jan. 10.

On paper, the Wildcats, winners of only two of their first 10 games, appeared to be no match for the ninth-ranked Hawks (4-1, 9-2). On the court, Oak Harbor proved otherwise.

Each time Mountlake Terrace surged ahead, the Wildcats, instead of fading, pushed back. Oak Harbor simply ran out of time before it could answer the last Terrace spurt.

The Hawks led 16-12 and 33-22 at the end of the first two quarters.

And, as it did in the first half, Oak Harbor rallied back.

After the Hawks’ Loren Lacasse started the third period with a three, giving Mountlake Terrace a 36-22 lead, Dyllan Harris shot the Wildcats back into the game.

Harris, a sophomore, scored all of Oak Harbor’s points, including three three-pointers in a 50 second span, in a 13-2 run to trim the gap to 38-35.

Mountlake Terrace pushed the lead to eight and then led 48-42 going into the final frame.

Behind buckets by Harris, Drew Washington and Zach Gibbs, Oak Harbor narrowed the lead to 52-49 with five minutes left in the game.

The lead was 56-52 with 3:49 remaining, then the Hawks put together the game’s final rush to escape with the win.

Oak Harbor stayed in the game with the three ball. Washington hit five, Harris four and Zach Jones two as the Wildcats outscored the Hawks 33-18 from behind the arc.

Mountlake Terrace made up the difference in several other areas.

The Hawks, who start a front line of 6-7, 6-6, 6-6 to Oak Harbor’s 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, out-rebounded the Wildcats 46-36 and outscored them 11-4 in second-chance points.

The Hawks also outscored Oak Harbor 13-0 at the foul line; the Wildcats missed all four of their attempts.

Oak Harbor coach Mike Washington said, “I’m happy. We competed with the ninth-ranked team in the state. They are a good team with one of the best coaches (Nalin Sood) in the state.”

Harris paced Oak Harbor with 22 points. Washington finished with 17, Jones 10, Gibbs six and Shane Huttula two.

Washington added nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks.

Gibbs had nine rebounds and Groenig six; Harris dished out two assists.

Mountlake Terrace’s tall front line stood out: 6-6 Lacasse had 17 points and nine rebounds, 6-7 Greg Bowman finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds and 6-6 Yoel Tekle tallied 16 points and 13 rebounds.

Oak Harbor (2-3, 2-9) goes to Shorewood (3-2, 8-4) at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14.