The Northgate Flames continued their icy skid this week, dropping two section games with losses to Seton LaSalle and Carlynton.
Northgate lost to the Carylnton Cougars 61-58 on Tuesday, increasing the winless streak to 12 games.
Head coach Perry Harrop said that although the Flames cut down on the number of turnovers and were shooting the ball well offensively, the difference-maker in the game was the number of three-pointers made by both sides. He said Carlynton hit 10 threes, while Northgate dropped only six.
Harrop said that the Flames were paying more defensive attention to one Carlynton player, which led to open shots for other players.
Jon Girvin finished with 29 points. Josh Douglass had 14, while Chris Mangel added another 12 points.
The team seemed as if it might see a change of fortune on Jan. 22 when they hosted Seton LaSalle, but a late run coupled with good free-throw shooting by the Rebels handed the Flames their 11th straight loss.
The Flames' turnover troubles continued against the Rebels. They amassed 26 turnovers, 11 of them in the second quarter.
Northgate was tied with Seton LaSalle at 41 with just under six minutes to go in the game when the Rebels went off on a 16-4 run, and made 17 of 20 from the charity stripe to help seal the deal on their 64-51 victory.
"You’ve got to tip your hats off to them," Harrop said. "They made their foul shots."
The game was the second consecutive contest against Seton LaSalle, who also beat Northgate on Jan. 20. Harrop said that the game was tied going into the fourth quarter, when the Rebels started a full-court press that helped Seton LaSalle win.
He said that he figured the Rebels would start Friday's game the same way, and the Flames were prepared for that.
The Flames started out the game on a 5-0 run, and by the end of the first quarter Northgate was ahead 16-7, with points coming from Girvin, Josh Heaney, Douglass and a put-back from sophomore Matt Lee. Northgate turned the ball over only three times in the first.
The second quarter is when the Rebels backed off of their full-court press and began trapping the Flames at half court, Harrop said. The defensive change by Seton LaSalle resulted in 11 Northgate turnovers, eight of which came on consecutive posses-
sions.

Despite the turnovers, the Flames managed to take a three-point lead into the locker room for halftime, up 22-19.
An 8-2 run late in the third quarter had the Rebels back up, 40-32, going into the fourth.
The Flames answered back with a 9-0 run of their own to put them up 41-40 with just over six minutes left. Girvin had 11 points in the period, but Seton LaSalle's 16-4 run put the Rebels up 57-45, and sent them sailing to victory.
Northgate shot the ball well throughout the game, which Harrop said is something the boys have been doing all season. He noted that the Flames are shooting nearly 50 percent from the field on the season.
"When we don't turn it over, we do shoot well," Harrop said.
Girvin finished the game with 25 points. Heaney had 11 and Douglass added another 9.
Northgate is home tonight to face section opponent Canevin at 7:30 p.m.