The Mount Si Wildcat girls’ basketball team was right in it throughout the first half of their game Dec. 28 against the Rainier Beach Vikings. But when the second half rolled around, things changed and it resulted in a win for the Vikings.

Despite a double-double of 22 points and 13 rebounds from Madison Yakaboski, the Wildcats were held to just 15 points the entire second half after trailing by only one, 27-26, at the halftime break. They fell 55-41 to the Vikings.

Symone Shaw continued her strong play, pitching in a nine point, 13-rebound effort, just one point short of a double-double of her own.

Three-point shooting was a problem for Mount Si as they only hit three out of 27 attempted the entire game. The Wildcats finish their Metro League non-league schedule 2-2. Combined with a 3-1 Kingco record, they head into the new year with a respectable 5-3 record. Wednesday night, Jan. 3, the Wildcats host Issaquah in the first home game for Mount Si since Dec. 11, when the Wildcats lost to Bellevue.

The Eagles will roll in looking for some redemption; Issaquah lost both their games at the T-Mobile Invitational at the University of Washington to teams from Delaware and Florida; both nationally ranked.

The Eagles are led by senior Aubrey Jensen and junior Alyssa Shoji. Both girls will be expected to pick up a scoring load left by former star Melissa Richardson, who graduated. Mount Si’s youth will be tested and this game could be difficult.

On Friday the Wildcats travel to Sammamish to meet the Totems, who have a new coach this season and are still in a rebuild mode.

Tip times for both contests this week are 7:30 p.m.