WENATCHEE — When the final buzzer rang, the Eastmont Wildcats were 58-55 overtime victors Friday night for their second straight win over rival Wenatchee at Town Toyota Center.

But eight minutes of game clock from the end, the Wildcats looked about as far away from a victory as could be.

After being dominated by an excellent game plan from the taller and stronger Panthers (1-5 overall, 0-3 Big Nine) in the third quarter, the Wildcats (4-1 overall, 2-1 Big Nine) trailed their cross-river rivals by double digits midway into the fourth quarter. But from that point, Eastmont reeled off a near-miraculous 10-0 run to force overtime, where it then came back a three-point deficit to beat Wenatchee.

“We just played smarter and under control (in the fourth quarter and overtime),” said Eastmont senior guard Kylie Buterbaugh. “We realized every possession counts.”

Buterbaugh was as big a part of the Wildcats’ improbable comeback as anybody, and she did so with perhaps more pressure on her than any other player in the game. A year ago she scored eight points for the Panthers in their annual Town Toyota Center game against the Wildcats, but she and her sophomore sister Kyra transferred to Eastmont after the season. This time around Kylie Buterbaugh was atop the leaderboard for Eastmont with 21 points, 14 of which came in the fourth quarter and overtime, including seven straight that spearheaded the Wildcats’ fourth-quarter turnaround.

“I can’t even explain my emotions,” Buterbaugh said. “I was very nervous. I respect Wenatchee, and I’m just glad we got the win.”

Eastmont coach Tessa Bromiley pointed not only to Buterbaugh’s offense, but also to the defense played by both Buterbaughs for shifting the momentum the Wildcats’ way.

“Kylie and Kyra were stepping up defensively. They put more pressure on their gals, and there was a change of attitude (from the Wildcats),” Bromiley said. “And right off the bat in the fourth quarter, Kylie hit a 3, got a steal and a lay-up, and from there it seemed like the momentum changed.”

Eastmont senior guard Nikki Gilbert (12 points) struggled for most of the game from the field against Wenatchee’s wall of posts, but she made her one field goal of the night a big one — a game-tying 3-pointer from the corner to make it 55-55 in overtime.

Freshman post Abby Waterhouse (11 points) canned a pair of free throws with 1:03 to go to put Eastmont ahead for good.

Wenatchee had two possessions in the final minute but couldn’t convert on either. It also did itself no favors at the free throw line, missing its last nine attempts of the game.

“We fought pretty hard. (The difference was) just not making our free throws and our lay-ins,” Wenatchee coach Robin Kansky said.

Junior guard Olivia Doerr was crucial for the Panthers as they built their lead in the third quarter — she scored half of her team-high 18 points in the period.

“She played really well. She’s feeling it,” Kansky said. “She’s always capable of doing that. She took the shots she had.”

Kansky also pointed to the Panthers’ defense on the slippery 5-foot Gilbert as a key in the game.

“She’s great at creating offense for them. We just tried to contain her from driving all the time,” he said.

Amira Chandler, a 6-foot-2 sophomore post for Wenatchee, also had a big night with 10 points.

“When we had opportunities we tried to run stuff to our posts,” Kansky said.

The Panthers, who were the clear underdogs heading into Friday, surprised many with their performance and certainly can’t wait to get another shot at the Wildcats. The two teams will play again on Jan. 12 at Wenatchee and Feb. 1 at Eastmont.

“I’m proud of (the Panthers),” Kansky said. “I told them we’re improving, and we just gotta keep working to get better. We’re looking forward (to playing Eastmont again) already.”

The Wildcats may have taken the win Friday, but they’re expecting more hard-fought contests when they meet the Panthers again.

“(The win) gives us confidence, but we have to be humble about the experience,” Gilbert said. “Now we know Wenatchee is a really good team in our conference.”

Saturday

Eastmont 60, Davis 40

The Wildcats used stingy defense to outscore the Pirates by 21 points in the final three quarters and hand them their first loss in Big Nine play.

“We played great defense. Defensively for the whole game we were pretty consistent,” Bromiley said. “We used a different game to stop their 3-pointers, and they hit only one on a buzzer-beater.”

Eastmont used its own outside shooting to pull away in the second half after Davis shifted to a 2-3 zone. Kylie Buterbaugh hit three treys after halftime and finished with a game-high 14 points.

Gilbert and Waterhouse added 12 points apiece.

Bromiley added that sophomore post Savannah Jackson (eight points) was a big key on the glass and on defense.

Wenatchee 51,

Eisenhower 47

The Panthers came up big with 20 points in the fourth quarter, made their free throws down the stretch and finished strong to pick up a close win on the road Saturday.

“We played really well Friday night and just couldn’t finish,” Kansky said. “Tonight we were pretty tired, emotionally and mentally, but the kids pulled together late in the game and refocused on what they needed to do.”

Chandler led the team with 17 points and Doerr, Katie Kansky and Ali Sealby combined for 23 points.

World sports writer Jon Frank contributed to this report.