This has been the year of the New England comeback so the large contingent of Westport fans had reason to wonder Monday whether the Wildcats girls basketball might just pull one off.

The Patriots, after all, had come back from 25 points down — maybe the Westport girls with their shutdown defense could erase a 26-point deficit.

But, with just under a quarter to accomplish it, the challenge proved too great.

The 21-2 second-seeded Wildcats fell to sixth-seeded Cohasset 64-55 in Taunton.

Coach Mike Ponte was immensely proud of the effort — “They never quit,” he said later.

And for awhile it seemed that the most unlikely of comebacks might actually happen.

Unleashing the swarming full-court pressure that had carried them all season, the Wildcats roared back in the fourth. The reeling Skippers handed the ball over again and again (25 times in the game) as Westport went on a 19-point fourth quarter tear.

Senior Haley Charest capped the run with a three pointer that cut the Skippers’ lead to seven with one minute and ten seconds left. But that was as close as Westport would get in a final minute of traded baskets and free throws.

The first half had actually stayed close but Cohasset ran away in the third with 29 points, leaving too great a deficit to overcome. Westport got a dose of its own medicine in the quarter with turnovers by the bunch.

Although this is a startlingly young Westport team with middle schoolers among its top performers, seniors Charest, 14 points, and Kara Figueiredo, eight points, played pivotal roles on this night as they have all year.

Eighth grader Laura Mendell hit for 16 points, while seventh grader Laila Silver scored 14.

Despite the loss, Coach Ponte said the girls can look back on an unforgettable season — 21 victories, unbeaten on their home court, just one road loss (avenged at home a few weeks later), and a regular season conference title.

Cohasset, 18-7, now plays Cathedral in the Division 4 South finals. That match was set up by another upset as Cathedral ousted top seed Falmouth Academy by 15 points.