A long-range assault spurred the South Whidbey High School boys basketball team to a 67-61 win over visiting Cedar Park Christian Friday, Jan. 10.

It was an important early league win for the Falcons. The North Sound Conference appears to be a three-team race between South Whidbey, King’s and CPC. King’s defeated both the Falcons and Eagles in the first round, and now the Falcons topped Cedar Park Christian as the trio battle for not only the conference title but favorable postseason seeding.

South Whidbey subdued Cedar Park Christian by peppering the Eagles from outside. The Falcons drained 12 three-point shots in the game, five each from Dexter Jokinen and Sterling Patton. Carson Wrightson popped in the other two.

CPC nearly kept pace, sinking nine threes, four by Luke Allen.

Allen helped the Eagles go up 16-13 in the first quarter by sinking two from long range, offsetting three by Patton.

Patton scored 8 points and Wrightson 6 in the second period when the Falcons took a 30-29 lead at the break.

South Whidbey upped its lead to 48-43 in the third quarter as Wrightson burned the Eagles with 12 points. Jokinen, who hit single three-balls in each of the first two periods, chipped in with a pair from beyond the arc to back Wrightson’s scoring effort in the period.

Patton scored 7 points and Wrightson and Jokinen 5 each and all three hit long balls as South Whidbey held off the Eagles in the fourth quarter.

The Falcons generally get scoring help from throughout the lineup, but only Patton, Wrightson and Jokinen made field goals in the game. Patton finished with 24 points, Wrightson 23 and Jokinen 17. Levi Buck tossed in two free throws and Jacob Ng one.

Ryan Baker scored 15 points, one more than Allen, for Cedar Park Christian.

South Whidbey (2-1, 10-3) entertains Granite Falls (1-3, 3-9) at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14, before hosting rival Coupeville (1-1, 4-6) at 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17.