Past results are not always the best indicator of future success.

Auburn Mountainview almost learned that the hard way as the Lions needed overtime Tuesday night to defeat Peninsula 57-52 in a loser-out game of the West Central/Southwest 3A bi-district girls basketball tournament at Clover Park High School.

“I would be lying if I said I expected that,” Auburn Mountainview coach Dustin DePiano said.

The Lions (17-5) swept the season series against the Seahawks, including a 66-34 win Feb. 2. Despite that, Auburn Mountainview never was able to gain much separation and found itself trailing 47-46 when sophomore post Kirsten Ritchie drove for a layup with 1 minute, 8 seconds remaining. The Lions sent the game into overtime when senior post Tanya Spatarel later split a pair of free throws.

Auburn Mountainview did not secure the win until freshman guard Taylor Flores, who finished with 12 points, was fouled while attempting a 3-pointer with 31 seconds left. She converted 2 of 3 attempts from the stripe to give the Lions a 56-50 lead.

“That was huge,” DePiano said. “We were just trying to run the clock there. For us to end up with three free throws – by our best free-throw shooter – that couldn’t have worked out better for us.”

For most of the first half it was another freshman – Peninsula guard Belle Frazier – who helped the Seahawks (7-16) almost pull off the upset. She scored 11 of her team-high 16 points during the first half.

“At halftime, we just really wanted to focus how we were guarding the screens, getting a little help and at least showing and hedging really quick to try and keep (Frazier) from getting that quick 3 off,” DePiano said.

He said the Seahawks’ familiarity with his team presented challenges.

“We weren’t going to surprise them,” DePiano said. “We weren’t going to trick them with some defense they didn’t know about. That makes it difficult.”

That also was the case with last Thursday’s opponent, Sumner, whom the Lions needed to defeat to reach regionals. Auburn Mountainview also won both of its regular-season games against the Spartans.