For a game that did not have a whole lot riding on it — both teams are expected to make the playoffs — the Seaside and Astoria girls basketball teams put on a pretty good show Monday night at the Brick House.

An offensive rebound basket by Astoria’s Julia Norris as time expired gave the Lady Fish an exciting 44-42 win over their rivals, putting a dramatic end to the Cowapa League seeding game.

The Clatsop Clash win streak for Astoria is now at six, but the previous five all came by fairly decisive margins. The two league meetings this season were both Astoria wins, 57-31 and 43-23.

Astoria just seemed to have Seaside’s number.

The Gulls, however, decided to change their number for Monday’s contest. And it nearly worked.

By the time it was over, Seaside probably regretted 20 turnovers and 10 missed free throws, all of which made a big difference in the closest girls’ Clatsop Clash in years.

Seaside coach Mike Hawes asked himself after the game, “Well, what words of wisdom does one tell a group of heartbroken kids? My goodness, how far we’ve come in a couple weeks,” since the Gulls lost by 20 on the same floor, Feb. 1.

On the other side, Astoria coach Mike Jacobson had a feeling this one would be close.

“We talked about that before the game,” said the former Seaside coach. “It’s real tough to beat a team three times in one season, and (the Gulls) did a good job of sticking around.”

Just minutes into the game, the score was Brooklynn Hankwitz 10, Seaside 4, as Astoria’s big junior post scored the first 10 points for her team (and finished with a game-high 17).

Hankwitz picked up a crucial foul just before halftime, and spent time on the bench in the second half.

That helped the Gulls turn a 24-18 deficit into a 30-30 tie at the end of the third quarter, which was capped by Annaka Garhofer’s 3-pointer as time expired.

“We knew if we took care of the ball we’d have a chance,” Hawes said. “We had 15 turnovers at the half and we finished with 20, and two or three of those were at the start of the third quarter.

“So once we started passing to each other we got more shots, got our feet set defensively and clawed our way back,” he said.

The entire fourth quarter was back and forth, but the Gulls never led.

With the Fishermen holding a 32-31 lead early in the period, Astoria turned on the “Julia Norris Show.”

The junior — who had no points the first three quarters — scored on a three-point play with 5:53 left, for a 35-31 lead. Her 3-pointer a minute later made it 38-32.

But Seaside didn’t fold. Not this time.

Emy Kiser answered Norris’s three with a 3-pointer of her own, Lilli Taylor scored on an offensive rebound, and Taylor hit a pair of free throws at the 2:18 mark to tie the game, 39-39.

With 1:52 left, Norris made 1-of-2 free throws, then after a defensive stop, Norris scored on an offensive rebound for a 42-39 lead with 1:05 remaining.

Taylor was fouled on Seaside’s next two possessions, and made 3-of-4 free throws (she would finish 7-of-8 at the line).

Tied 42-42 and with 35 seconds left, the Fishermen played for the final shot.

Norris’s drive to the hoop came up short, but she grabbed the offensive rebound and scored as time expired.

“We’ve had two buzzer-beaters this year, and they’re pretty exciting to win that way,” Jacobson said, two weeks after Halle Helmersen beat Banks with a last-second 3-pointer. “Julia was just in the right place at the right time.”

Hawes said, “We extended to help corral (Hailey) O’Brien, but that left Hankwitz solo and she’s good, too. Astoria has lots of weapons, and if one doesn’t get ya the others might, like Norris.”

Astoria will wait to find out who its opponent will be in the Sweet 16, but it’s likely to be a home contest March 2. Seaside will also wait for its playoff bid in the play-in round.

“I’m proud of these kids,” Hawes said. “They come to play every night. I think we’ve earned the right to play on, and if we hang on to the ball we just might get the next one.”

Norris finished with 11 points, all in the fourth quarter, while Kelsey Fausett had nine. Taylor had nine points and Trinity Turner scored eight for the Gulls.

“The kids are excited to keep playing,” Jacobson said of his players. “This was a good win, but they want more than to just make the state playoffs. We want to keep playing, and take it as far as we can.”