Someone once said, "The key to success is often the ability to adapt."

That adage proved true when the Northgate Flames hosted Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (OLSH) on Monday. A defensive change at half-time from a man-to-man defense to zone helped the Flames slow down OLSH's offense, and held them scoreless for the last three minutes of the game.

That, coupled with a nine-point, fourth quarter burst from sophomore Jon Girvin and missed OLSH free throws late in the game, sealed the deal on Northgate's 56-55 come-from-behind win.

Both teams traded scores throughout the entire game, with neither team holding more than a six-point lead. The teams went into halftime tied at 29. OLSH had a four-point lead going into the final quarter, 45-41.

"We hung tough against them," head coach Perry Harrop said. "I thought we battled well."

Northgate trailed 55-49 after OLSH hit a two-pointer under the basket with about three minutes left in the game. Girvin answered right back with a lay-up of his own to put the score at 55-51 with 2:39 left.

OLSH turned the ball over on their next possession, but the Flames could not capitalize, missing a two-pointer. A foul on Northgate gave OLSH possession near half-court.

After two more Northgate fouls, OLSH called timeout with 1:40 left. The Flames increased the defensive pressure on the inbound, with Girvin getting the steal and dishing it to junior Josh Douglass for an easy lay-in, cutting the lead to two points, 55-53, with 1:40 left.

A foul called on Northgate's Josh Heaney on the next possession sent OLSH to the line with 45 seconds to go in the game. The OLSH player missed the first of the one-and-one and Northgate got the rebound.

Girvin was fouled on his next shot and went to the free-throw line with 35 seconds left. He made one of his two attempts, putting the Flames down by one, 55-54.

Another Northgate foul sent OLSH to the line again with only 25 seconds left to play. The foul shot was missed and senior Chris Mangel made a lay-up at the opposite end to put the final at 56-55.

The Flames shot nearly 49 percent from the field on the night and committed fewer than a dozen turnovers.

Northgate had four players score in double figures: Girvin with 19; Mangel, 13; Heaney, 12; and Douglass, 10.

The win improves Northgate to 2-1 on the season.

The Flames travel to Springdale on Saturday to play the Dynamos at 1:30 p.m.