The No. 6 Auburn Mountainview girls season ended with a 47-45 loss to No. 7 Seattle Prep in the state 3A regional tournament at Jackson High School in Mill Creek last Saturday.

The Lions led most of the way, holding a 33-31 advantage after three quarters. But Auburn Mountainview (20-6) went cold in the fourth quarter, going scoreless until the 5-minute, 34-second mark.

The Panthers (21-6) outscored Auburn Mountainview 16-12 in the fourth quarter to put away the game and punch their ticket to the state quarterfinals, which began Thursday at the Tacoma Dome.

“Down the stretch we just missed free throws and lay-ins,” Lions coach Chris Carr said. “You have to be able to finish, and we just didn’t. And you’re going to be in trouble when you play against a team that can finish.”

Senior Caitlin Carr’s game-high 22 points and senior Aalia Braboy’s 10 points led the Lions. Senior Hattie Kosko had five points and juniors Erika Lombardo and Aly Carr had four points apiece.

After spending the season ranked in the top 10 in the state and winning the South Puget Sound League 3A with a 9-1 record, the Lions were unable to reach the coveted quarterfinals.

“It’s typical. It’s devastating for them,” Carr said. “It’s tough for six of the girls (the seniors) to realize that their high school career is over. There are so many other (former) players who talk about the Tacoma Dome and what that experience meant to them. It’s a shame because this would have been a great, first-round game at the Dome.”

For the past two years, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association has run what would have previously been the first round of the Hardwood Classic at the Dome as loser-out regional pairings at various high schools scattered throughout the state.