The jinx is over.

After losing to Snohomish 13 straight times, the Oak Harbor girls basketball team finally defeated the host Panthers 51-41 Friday.

The Wildcats last got by the Panthers in the 2003 district tournament, according to Oak Harbor coach Brett McLeod.

During that run, McLeod has produced strong teams, many of them talented enough to qualify for the playoffs. However, Snohomish has been a perennial state power and league champion. Several times, including last year, Oak Harbor got close to beating the Panthers, but could never quite pull off the upset.

That changed Friday. The combination of a hot-shooting first half and tenacious rebounding effort in the second carried Oak Harbor to the streak-breaking victory.

The win, coupled with Stanwood’s upset of Arlington (5-5, 8-6) Friday, moved Oak Harbor (6-4, 9-5) into sole possession of fourth place in the Western Conference North standings. The top four teams automatically qualify for the district tournament.

The Wildcats go to Everett (1-10, 2-13) Wednesday, Jan. 27, then host third-place Lake Stevens (7-4, 10-5) Friday, Jan. 29, at 7:30 p.m.

In the Snohomish game, both teams started out red-hot. The Panthers scored on their first six possessions and the Wildcats on six of seven – that made it 12-12 midway through the opening period.

The teams, particularly Snohomish, cooled from that point and the squads went into the break tied 21-21.

Oak Harbor, which shoots on an average of about 30 percent from the field, went 10-17, 59 percent, in the first half. Although the Panthers cooled to 28 percent (9-32) after their torrid start, they were able to put up 15 more shots than Oak Harbor, thanks to an advantage on the boards and Oak Harbor turnovers. The Panthers’ second- and third-shot opportunities kept them in the game.

Those opportunities disappeared in the second half, as Oak Harbor corralled 18 more rebounds than the Panthers in the final two quarters. The ‘Cats finished the game with a 43-28 rebounding advantage. The rebounding edge not only stopped Snohomish from getting extra shooting opportunities, but created a bundle for Oak Harbor.

Oak Harbor took a 36-31 lead into the fourth quarter. Snohomish narrowed the gap to two midway through the period, but Oak Harbor regained control of the game and won going away.

Back in December when the teams met for the first time this season, Snohomish employed a triangle-and-two defense that stymied Oak Harbor’s offense. That resulted in a 40-33 win for Snohomish (4-7, 5-10).

The gadget defense didn’t work this time. Snohomish tried the triangle-and-two again, a box-and-one, a straight zone and a man-to-man, but Jessica Denmon scored 22 points and Nicole Mowbray 18 as the pair tallied 40 of Oak Harbor’s 51 points.

Jessica James with four; Janelle Yoshimoto, three; Adrianna Royal, two; and Shantae Young, two, accounted for the other Oak Harbor points.