The boy’s basketball team lost another heartbreaker on Friday, this time falling to Fox Chapel 57-54.

Junior guard Nate Richards thought Fox Chapel had better control of the game.

“They run their offense really well until they get the best shot they can get,” he said. “It was tough on defense sometimes for us because we like to play fast and they like to play at a slower pace.”

In the fourth quarter, Fox Chapel’s offense took charge. 

“Fox Chapel ran an offense to kill time in the fourth which made it hard for us to come back from,” senior forward A.J. Cherico said. 

Cherico said the senior point guard for Fox Chapel, Kam Greil, had an exceptionally well-played game. 

“He was their main scorer and got to the foul line a lot. He controlled the pace of Fox Chapel’s game,” Cherico said. 

Despite the loss, Richards thought the Highlanders were able to improve on many things from previous games.

“We moved the ball really well and tried to get everyone involved in our offense,” he said. “We also cut down on our bad shots.”

Richards believed sophomore Nate Wesling was a main part of the Highlanders’ success on both sides of the ball.

“Nate Wesling was a standout player,” he said. “He attacked the hoop well, guarded the ball tough, and when he went, our whole team got going.”

Cherico also saw Wesling’s performance as a good one. He complimented Richards for his consistency on scoring.

“Richards had 20 points and showed leadership skills,” Cherico said. 

Although the team has a lot of offense and is able to put up a score, they still see areas of improvement on defense to be the team they want to be.

“We always look to improve on our defense,” Richards said. “Defense is a big thing for us this year and I think we are finally understanding what we have to do to be a good defensive team.”

The team had hopes of starting the season undefeated, but after a couple tough losses, their view for the rest of the season hasn’t changed much.

“It’s tough seeing that we are .500 when we all know we should be 7-0 or 8-0 right now,” Richards said. “Thankfully it’s only the beginning of the season and we have enough time to bounce back in section play and get the section title.”

Cherico also believes the record for Baldwin should be lopsided on the win column but said the team continues to move forward. 

“It can’t be changed, so we just have to move on and win the games still in front of us,” Cherico said. 

The boys play next on Tuesday at Seneca Valley at 7:30 p.m.