The Auburn Mountainview girls basketball team found itself in a familiar place after its first-round state tourney match against Meadowdale on Wednesday – in a loser-out bracket.

After narrowly missing a chance to upset the Mustangs (17-4), losing 40-39, the Lions found themselves in the consolation bracket and another 9 a.m. game, Thursday this time against Franklin (22-4).

Auburn Mountainview came into the tourney after snatching the seventh and last seed out of the West Central District III tourney with a 59-52 win over Bonney Lake this past Saturday, earning a 9 a.m. showdown with Meadowdale at the Tacoma Dome.

Tied at 20-20 at the end of the first half, the Lions looked to be in position to upset the Mustangs, with junior Ida Hüners leading the team with nine first-half points.

In the second half, Auburn Mountainview again flirted with an upset when freshman Caitlin Carr stretched the Lion’s lead to 35-31 with a three-point shot with 5:15 left on the clock.

The team could not hold on to their lead and allowed the Mustangs to find their rhythm and secure the one-point victory.

“It was a heck of a basketball game,” Auburn Mountainview coach Chris Carr said. “We had opportunities. We had some good looks at the end they just didn’t fall for us. Give Meadowdale credit, they made plays. One more than we did and that’s what it came down to.”

The Lions were led by Hüner’s nine points, three assists, four rebounds and three steals. Stephanie Smolinski added eight points and four rebounds and Caitlin Carr had seven points.

After shooting 50 percent as a team in the first half, Auburn Mountainview shot just 38.9 percent after the intermission.

“Our teams are not always the most skilled,” Chris Carr said. “And when you come into a tournament and you’re not the most skilled you have to limit the mental mistakes. And we made some mental mistakes. Our game plan was to help from the inside and not allow penetration and let them shoot the three. And there were too many times they got in the paint.”

“We made some mistakes,” Hüners said. “We missed a lot of free throws. If we would have made them we would have won.”

“We’ve always stressed this year that games that we play always come down to one or two possessions,” Carr said. “And you’ve got to make sure that you limit the mental mistakes that you have. And we came in with the game plan and made too many mental mistakes.”

The Lions played Franklin in a loser-out contest on Thursday, with results unavailable at press time. The Lions were winners in their last four postseason loser-out contests.