The Catasauqua boys basketball team didn’t have time to dwell on their heartbreaking 54-53 loss to Northwestern Lehigh on Friday night.

They had to be ready to make the trip to Northampton for a 1 p.m. start against a solid, 7-5 Konkrete Kids team looking to make a push for District XI 6A playoff spot.

Whether it was a hangover from the previous night’s disappointment from losing on a three-point buzzer beater, or fatigue from playing their third game in three days, the Roughs struggled early.

Northampton scored the game’s first six points on the way to taking an 18-8 lead after the first quarter.

Following a Kids’ three to open the second quarter, the Roughs had a nice six-point run to close the margin to seven points. Derek George had 12 of Catasauqua’s first 14 points on his way to a game high 22. Unfortunately for Catty, George picked up his third personal foul with 5:27 remaining in the period and spent the rest of the half on the bench.

From that point on Northampton went on a 17-5 run to end the period, including a three-pointer to beat the halftime buzzer. The score at the half was 38-19 in favor of the Kids.

With George back in the lineup, Catty came out strong in the third quarter. They scored the first five points of the half on the way to outscoring Northampton 17-15 in the period.

The Roughs hung tough in the fourth quarter getting outscored by a single point, 18-17. The 34-33, second half advantage was not enough to overcome the halftime deficit and the final score went into the books as 71-53.

The Roughs’ interior passing led by Andrew Martinez and George’s finishing ability at the rim (11-for-15) keyed an efficient 20-of-31 shooting effort on two-point field goals. A 2-for-13 rate from beyond the arc, including 0-for-6 in the first half, created too great a mountain to climb to get the win.

Derek Troxell chipped in 11 points, while D’Angelo Martinez added eight, and Cole Schiffer contributed six.

Although the team is still searching for the elusive second win of the season, head coach Eric Snyder likes what he sees from his squad.

“They’re improving every day,” Snyder said. “We’re much better now than we were a month ago, even two weeks ago. It’s a good sign. The problem is that the season will be over before we reach our full potential.”

Catty’s next two games will both be at home. On Saturday, the Roughs take on Notre Dame Jr/Sr HS at 1:15 pm. The Spartans currently sit atop the District XI 1A power rankings. On Tuesday at 6:45, Palmerton comes to town. The Blue Bombers are in the middle of the pack in the 3A rankings, hovering around the .500 mark.