The Wolfpack checked into Heartbreak Hotel for the fourth time this season, and it was another disappointing stay. Visiting Forest Lake rallied from 12 down in the second half to knock off the Park Wolfpack 64-63 in Suburban East Conference boys basketball Friday night.

Forest Lake’s Brennan Sauvageau hit a long threepoint field goal and was fouled and made the ensuing free throw for an unlikely four-point play with just 6.6 seconds to play. Park never got off a shot in the final seconds.

The Rangers fouled Wolfpack players twice in the final seconds — they had extra fouls to give — giving the Wolfpack a final chance to win with 4.1 seconds left. But Park turned the ball over and that was the ballgame.

The one-point loss sends Park to 1-6 in the SEC and 2-7 on the season. And the season which began with a close loss to a good Roseville team and a rousing 41-point win over Hastings has unraveled.

“I guess we’re still learning, got to close out games,” said Park coach Mike Leah. “we’ve got to close out these games.

Weah said the Wolfpack have been practicing closing out tight games.

“We’ve executed it in practice but we’ve got to execute it in games,” Weah said.

Friday was a game of dramatic surges. Park trailed by 11 early in the first half but got back into the game and were down just 33-30 at the half. The Wolfpack then built a 12-point second-half lead, only to see it whittled down to nothing. Park led 49-44 with 8:42 to play but the game was tied at 51-all at the 5:25 mark. Park led 56-54 with 3:37 left and then went up 63-60 on a 3-point field goal by guard Miskar Esayas.

That set the stage for Sauvageau’s dagger to the Wolfpack hearts. “You’ve got to keep your head up, got to pick each other up,” Weah said he told the team after the game. “Everybody’s a brother. It’s just the way the ball bounces sometimes. But what we always talk about is every possession counts. We started out this game I think down by 11 and then we go up by 12 at one point. But every possession counts, so you’ve got to take advantage. We end up losing by one and you can’t say its because of the last play. You’ve got to remember how many okays, how many bad plays in a row we had at the beginning of the game. You’ve got to look at When we were up by 12 you’ve got to look at how many bad plays did we make after that. It’s not just at the end, it’s what happens in between then.”

Forest Lake improved its record to 2-5 in the conference and 5-8 on the season.

It was Park’s fourth loss of the season by either one or two points and fifth straight defeat.

Senior OT Omot led Park in offense, as usual, scoring 19 points. Tayvion Stewart scored 14 and David Ola-Kazim had 13.

Park has three road games this week, playing at White Bear Lake (6-2, 8-4) Wednesday, at Roseville (3-4, 8-6) Friday and then a non-conference contest at Robbinsdale Cooper (7-5) Saturday afternoon.

East Ridge 68, Park 61

Park put up a fight before eventually falling to Suburban East Conference-leading East Ridge Tuesday night, losing 68-61.

East Ridge rolled up a 3625 lead at the break, then held off a Park second-half rally for the victory.

The win kept the Raptors undefeated in the conference at 7-0. Park slipped to 1-5 in the SEC.

OT Omot led Park with 18 points. Miskar Esayas continued his mid-season scoring surge with 13 points. David Ola-Kazim added nine and Henry Schluetter seven.

Late in the fourth quarter, Park’s OT Omot looks for an open man to pass to against Forest Lake Friday. Photo by John Molene