Using an aggressive, all-senior attack in the first quarter Tuesday night, the Falcon girls kept their playoff hopes alive on their home court.

With their best inside shooter, Hilary Wick, driving through the defense at point guard and using age and experience to keep the ball under control, the Falcons built a 9-5 first-quarter advantage into a game-winning 53-36 total against Meridian in the most crucial home game of the season.

Showing more stability and finesse than in recent games, the seniors-only lineup made their parents and fans proud during the final home game of their high school careers. With scores from Wick, Karen Schwager and Lindsay Binford, the Falcons got the upper hand in a contest of pride. The Trojans came hard at the Falcon defense, only to get shut out of the lane almost completely. Lauren Johnson made life miserable for the Meridian offense, thieving eight balls from the Trojans on the night.

Also helping the team was solid shooting throughout the entire lineup. Seven Falcon players put up more than one basket during the game.

To make it to the district playoffs, the now 9-11 (4-11) Falcons needed to beat Granite Falls Friday. A win would give them control of sixth place in the North Cascades Conference and a first-round playoff game next week.