Over the last two seasons, the rivalry between the La Salle Falcons and the Wilsonville Wildcats has produced a number of intense, emotional games.

Tonight was no exception.

After defeating the Falcons earlier this season at home in a crazy comeback win, Wilsonville was eager to get another shot at their NWOC rivals. Last season, the teams split the two league matchups, sharing co-league champion honors. La Salle won the third and final match between the two squads, in the state semifinals.

La Salle has a habit of starting out strong and creating an early lead, which the Wildcats almost inevitably erase in the second half. The tale was the same tonight, with the Falcons winning 37-29 at halftime.

In the third quarter, Wilsonville turned it on and went on a blazing comeback run. Outscoring their opponents 22-9 in the period, Wilsonville took a 51-46 lead into the fourth behind the leadership of junior Sydney Burns.

However, the Falcons were ready to strike back. La Salle limited the Wildcats to four points in the fourth and ultimately won the game 65-55.

La Salle is an extremely talented team with weapons at every position, and is easily the best three-point shooting team in the state. Tonight they got a boost from senior Lindsay Drango, a Whitman College commit, who was on fire from beyond the arc, drilling seven threes.

While they ultimately fell short of the victory, Wilsonville gained a lot from tonight’s matchup. Playoffs are right around the corner, and tonight’s game allowed the Wildcats to identify weak spots on both ends of the floor which they can improve on before the state tournament.

It’s very likely that these two teams will meet again come March, and you can expect yet another competitive game from tip-off to final whistle.