Catasauqua head boys’ basketball coach Eric Snyder found some solace in his team’s recent, hard-fought, 68-64 overtime loss to Palmerton.

However, it didn’t erase their frustration. With three consecutive losses, the Rough Riders dropped to 2-6 on the season.

Their game at Pen Argyl Monday was postponed due to the snowstorm, and they were scheduled to travel to Northwestern Wednesday night, which was after Press deadlines.

Snyder knows setbacks can be extremely costly down the stretch.

“We just shot ourselves in the foot down the stretch,” noted Snyder about the overtime loss. “We had careless passes and careless plays.

“We let a couple of things get away from us.”

Snyder was pleased with the play of senior guard Cole Schiffer, who hit three 3-pointers and accounted for 14 points against Palmerton.

“Cole played well,” said Snyder. “He hit some key shots from the outside. We were able to hit five threes and go 18-for-22 from the line.

“I’ll take that any night.”

The Roughies also got a boost with the return of senior and leading scorer Derek Troxell, who had a team-high 18 points after he missed the previous two games with a shoulder injury.

Troxell certainly is the team’s catalyst.

“The game wouldn’t have been as close without him,” said Snyder. “He didn’t want to start, but he made three plays as soon as he got in.

“He makes us go, and he makes everybody else better. He’s finding the open man and talking on defense to direct traffic. We’re a totally different team with him in the lineup.”

Senior center Ty Reitz continues to develop, and he’ll need a consistent effort.

“He has been tough in there, and that really helps us,” said Snyder. “We’re looking for him to get some more minutes and stay consistent.”

Catty began the week ranked seventh in the District 11 Class 3A rankings. There will be eight teams in the district bracket.

Snyder wants his team to keep its focus.

“This is a short season,” he quipped. “Our kids are confident, and we can’t look back. We have to keep going.”