After losing the last three games of the season and finishing 3-17, the Northgate boys' basketball team will hope that the game-time experiences gained by the younger players this year will carry over into a more successful season next year.

And with the Flames' top two leading scorers returning next year, it looks like they already have a headstart. But that's not to say that the boys will be taking it easy in the offseason.

"We are going to do a lot over the spring and fall and we will be ready for next year," head coach Perry Harrop said.

Harrop said he was disappointed the Flames couldn't win more games for the out-going seniors.

"You always want to win more games," Harrop said.

Harrop said that sophomore center Jon Girvin, who was playing for the freshman team last year, made a huge leap to become the varsity team's leading scorer, and was able to get a lot of playing time this year. Girvin averaged 13.8 points per game this season, Harrop noted.

Guard Matt Lee, Harrop said, also got a good amount of varsity experience this year and still has two more years of playing left.

The team's second leading scorer, forward Josh Douglass, is a junior who also is set to return. Douglass turned in an average of 12.7 points per game this year.

The Flames had a tough finish to the season, facing the top two teams in their section in their last three games.

Northgate suffered a 62-43 loss to second place South Fayette on Tuesday, and lost to first place North Catholic by a score of 64-43 on Feb. 13.

In the loss to South Fayette, Harrop said that the Flames were down 18-2 by the end of the first quarter and were able to close the gap to only 11 points. Girvin got into foul trouble early and the boys were missing shots, Harrop said. Douglass finished with 18 points, while Girvin put up 10.

Against North Catholic, Harrop said that the Flames hung around early, but couldn't keep up the pace as they were sent on their way to a loss. Girvin finished with 15 and Douglass scored 14 points in the loss.

Northgate hosted Brentwood on Feb. 12, and fell 53-32.

Harrop said that the Flames did not get to practice much before the game because of the weather-related school cancellations.

The first basket of the game did not come until nearly three minutes into the first quarter. Scoring was kept to a minimum, as the Flames were ahead 6-5 by the end of the period. Two of those points came on a nice play that featured a behind-the-back pass from senior Chris Mangel to Girvin, who put it in for the score.

Both teams traded buckets in the second and were deadlocked at the half at 19 apiece.

Brentwood opened the second half with a big 11-2 run that the Flames could not recover from. By the end of the third quarter, the Flames were down 37-28.

Northgate put up only four points in the fourth, which insured the victory for Brentwood.

Douglass finished with 14 points and Girvin with 8.

Next season's match-ups may get a little more interesting, as the Flames will compete in a different section -- one that also includes rival Avonworth, Harrop said.

Also in the section is Quaker Valley, where Harrop was an assistant before taking the Northgate coaching position.