Nashua North's Evan Linscott loses the handle trying to drive through the double team of Windham's Samuel Roidoulis, left, and Sean Collins during Saturday's Division I clash in Nashua. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – It’s going to be a fight to the finish.

But that’s just how the Nashua High School North boys basketball team likes it.

The Titans didn’t make it easy for Windham to walk out of Titans Gym Saturday with a 60-56 win, as costly a loss as it was. Now North likely has to win in the season finale scheduled – as of now – for Tuesday morning at 11:30 a.m.at fellow 6-11 Merrimack to have a chance to get in.

But the Titans are always up for a challenge.

“To be honest, you look at all the games throughout the year, you don’t necessarily believe in moral victories, but I was really proud of the kids,” North coach Kyle Tave said. “Couple bounces here and there, couple shots here and there. We had some sophomores we had just brough up from JV.”

Sickness, injuries, etc. had some different players in North’s lineup and others pushing through things. They overcame a sluggish 7-2 start and led 17-16 after one, then trailed 28-27 at the half and 44-38 heading into the fourth. The Jags (10-7) got two big 3-pointers late in the third quarter by Tyler Jordan and Brandon Jacobs (game-high 21 points) to create the gap.

“A couple of 3s in a tie game gave us a six point lead and we were able to maintain that the rest of the way,” Jaguars coach Carson Desrosiers said. “Credit to North. They’re a scrappy team. New coach (Tave) and the guys are responding to him.”

Case in point: North got a great nine point effort from sophomore Cam Borges, up from the JVs, “because he’s been doing unbelievable in practice. The coaches say ‘Hey, you’ve to take a look at (him). Gavin Valcourt. We don’t make excuses. We know we have enough kids in the program that love basketball.”

Boy, do they ever. This one went down to just at the final minute. North’s Brady O’Connor (10 points) had nice feed to Valcourt for a layup that got North to within 50-49 with 2:37 left.But a Jags free throw plus another 3 by Jordan (16 points) gave Windham some breathing room at 54-49 with 1:33 to play. It was still a one-possession game with just under a minute left at 56-53 but the Jags netted four straight points to put the game out of reach. Josh Sullivan led North with 13 points.

Nashua North’s Josh Sullivan elevates to the hoop vs.Wndham’s Matthew Hennessey during Saturday’s game at Titans Gym. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

“You see a team that’s senior (in nature) and they executed when they had to,” Tave said of the Jags. “They were able to get some easy shots down the stretch, you could see their composure.

“But for us we have a lot to look forward to, whether it’s Merrimack or next year. Yeah, we’re on the bubble, but every day’s a new day, practice, practice then games. You just never know. … We do the things we can control.”

Which is effort. Like we said, the Titans will go down fighting.