“Falcon coach Nancy Ricketts confers with guard Jaci Gutzmer in the final moments of the Granite Falls game.Jim Larsen/staff photosThe South Whidbey girls may not be going to the playoffs, but they ended their season at home with two great basketball performances.In a must win game Friday night against Granite Falls, the Falcon girls held the lead for the entire second half before relinquishing it with 34 seconds remaining. They lost 48-47, virtually dooming their hopes for the sixth and final playoff spot in the North Cascades Conference.The disappointment of the loss was evident on the tear-streaked faces of such starters as Hilary Wick and Melissa Poolman, but they regrouped quickly. Saturday night, they helped their senior teammates Hayley Gabelein and Sam Watson leave their home court with a win by defeating playoff-bound Mount Baker 62-40.Wick, a 6-0 junior center, enjoyed torrid quarters in both games. Against Granite Falls she put on an amazing display in the third periodr by canning six consecutive hoops to put South Whidbey ahead 35-26. Give’em Hill! stated a sign waving in the crowd, and she did. Unfortunately, she picked up her fourth foul with 2 minutes left in the third and had to play less aggressively.Granite took advantage of the situation by slowly gaining ground on the Falcons, cutting the deficit to 37-35 at the third period buzzer.The Tigers tied it early in the fourth, but Falcon Lindsay Binford responded with an outside jumper, followed by a three-point bomb by teammate Julie Robinson. But the Falcons couldn’t maintain the lead and missed several important free throws at the end.Saturday night Wick owned the fourth quarter when she scored 17 of her game-high 31 points to lead the Falcons over the Mountaineers 52-40. Mount Baker held a 30-28 lead after three, but then South Whidbey decided to Give’em Hil.The weekend’s split left the Falcons with a 5-10 league record, tied for sixth with Meridian which beat the Falcons twice this year. For any chance at a playoff spot, the Falcons needed to win last night in their final game at Nooksack Valley. The powerful Pioneers entered the game 15-0 in league, 19-0 overall and ranked number 1 in the state. If anyone can do it, this group of girls can, said Falcon coach Nancy Ricketts Tuesday morning. Results will appear in Saturday’s Record. “