NORTON — Old Rochester Regional High School’s boys basketball team suffered a disappointing loss 59-39 against Norton High School Saturday, March 12, ending the season for the Bulldogs.

The loss wasn’t for lack of fan enthusiasm. Crowds packed the stands at the Haas Athletic Center at Wheaton College, and cheers from fans could be heard all the way across the busy parking lot. 

Fans struggled to find parking spaces and hiked up the street in crowds on their way to the big game. 

The results determined who would advance to the final four of the 2022 Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Boys' Basketball Division 3 tournament. 

Spirits were high for the Bulldogs since an exciting start to the season with a win against Wareham in December. Head Coach Steven Carvalho has said that he had a “good mix of seniors, juniors, and sophomores this season,” many without much varsity experience due to last year’s limited season. 

But this wasn’t the Bulldogs’ day. The team fell behind the Norton Lancers in the first quarter with a score of 8-6 and never managed to recover. 

Fans were on the edge of their seats, crossing their fingers for a comeback that never happened.

At the half, Old Rochester was still down 6 points with a score of 21-15, and while the team played hard and was able to score many times between then and the end of the third quarter, the gap only widened, bringing the score to 40-30.

Halfway through the fourth quarter, disappointed fans were already leaving the stands and heading home, anticipating that there wouldn’t be enough time left on the clock for Old Rochester to make the recovery it needed. 

Still, the Bulldogs held it down until the clock ran out, and they scored three more points in the last two minutes before the Lancers got ahold of the ball and passed it around to run out the clock.

“My senior captain Steve Morrell fought right to the end,” Coach Steve Carvalho said, noting Morrell has been “consistent all year.” He also praised Sawyer Fox, who was “all over the court,” and Liam Geraghty, the top scorer for the Bulldogs that day.

Despite the loss, Carvalho said the team had a lot to be proud of and he considers it a successful season. 

“I’m glad the gym was rocking again,” said Carvalho. “Now it’s time to get back to work in the off season. We’re looking forward to getting ready for next year.”