POULSBO — The third quarter has been the Achilles’ heel for the North Kitsap Lady Vikings this season.

But Saturday night, it was the fourth that did them in.

The Lady Vikings, who have been outscored in the third quarter of every game this year, outscored Port Townsend in that frame to draw close to the year’s first win.

But missed shots, missed free throws, and costly turnovers allowed Port Townsend (8-1) to hand the Lady Vikings their 11th consecutive loss, 48-38.

Head coach Dan Weedin was disappointed by the loss, but pleased by some of the progress he thinks the team has made.

“We had a terrible first quarter,” Weedin said, “but we had a great second, and I’m very pleased with our third quarter; it’s the first third quarter we’ve won all year.”

Weedin was happy to see the team fight so hard despite being shorthanded — only eight players — and undergoing a major lineup change.

The Lady Vikings added a new wrinkle to the offense, putting forward Jennifer Harris at point guard.

After a disastrous first quarter when Port Townsend outscored North Kitsap 13-4, the change began to pay off.

Harris found Sheena Brundage for a layup, then buried a jumper as the Vikings tried to stay with Port Townsend.

She wasn’t the only Viking to contribute. Sarah Bergman, who would lead the team in scoring, drove around a Port Townsend defender for a jumper, then burst ahead of the pack for a fast-break layup to pull the Vikings within 10.

Port Townsend held that lead (28-18) as the first half ended.

In the third quarter, the Lady Vikings did something they have struggled to do all season; they came back.

Harris started off the run with a drive, then buried a short jumper.

Seconds later she faked a jump shot, dribbled into the lane, and scored another hoop.

For the first half of the quarter, Port Townsend kept the Vikings’ charge at bay, as center Lexi Paoli wheeled in the lane and hit a jumper to stretch the lead back to 10.

But the Vikings charged again. Brundage fought Paoli for a rebound; Harris sparked a fast break; and when Harris found Jessica Bento on the break for a midrange jumper, the Vikings had cut the lead to five.

That gap narrowed further in the fourth as Ashley Davis grabbed an offensive rebound and banked a shot to cut the Port Townsend lead to three.

Moments later, when Bergman, at the head of a fast break, hit a layup, Port Townsend’s lead was slashed to a slim two.

But that was as close as the Lady Vikings got to their first win.

From then on, several jumpers fell short, and the Lady Vikings were worse at the free-throw line, where they went 0-5 in the quarter.

The Vikings drew briefly closer when Bergman buried a top-of-the-key three-pointer — and was fouled — but Port Townsend pulled away, holding the Lady Vikings scoreless after that bucket.

“We weathered the storm,” said Port Townsend head coach John Stroeder. “We played defense and got the ball back.”

Stroeder and Weedin were both in agreement: it was the free throws that made the difference Saturday night.

Port Townsend went 19-of-26 from the line.

The Vikings went 7-of-22.

Despite the loss, the team’s coaches and players still see a team on its way up.

“It was the best game we’ve played as a team,” said Harris. “We hustled.”

(North Kitsap — Sarah Bergman 10, Sheena Brundage 8, Jennifer Harris 6, Jessica Bento 4, Jennifer Ottele 4, Lisa Roberts 2, Stephanie Ross 2, Ashley Davis 2. Port Towsend — Nettie Witheridge 13, Shannon Paselk 13, Lexi Paoli 9, Lissy Corra 11, Alaina Fountain 2).