So close.

It’s one way to describe the Catasauqua boys’ basketball team start this season. The Rough Riders are off to a 0-2 start in the league and 0-4 overall. They lost their first two by a total of six points.

They dropped a 58-56 decision at Bangor, and suffered a 75-71 overtime loss to Southern Lehigh at home. Recently, there was another close loss to Northwestern.

“We easily could have been 2-0,” said veteran head coach Eric Snyder, who is beginning 33rd season at the helm. “We should have beaten Southern Lehigh, and we were right there with Bangor. There was a bad technical call that hurt us against Bangor.”

Snyder likes the makeup of his club, but they will need to find a way to finish.

“It’s about keeping our poise and composure down the stretch,” he stressed. “We need to be able to close out teams when we have the chance. We also haven’t shot well from the free-throw line, and that has hurt us.”

Through their first two games, the Roughies have had balanced scoring. In the loss to Southern Lehigh, Frankie Pujols had a team-high 20 points, Reece Lopez had 12, Manny Bolmer had 10, and Jeremiah Cofie added eight.

Pujols, who has missed his share of games the past two seasons due to injuries, was one of the area’s leading scorers last season, as he had five games over the 20-point mark. A junior, Pujols will team with fellow junior Hamaad Jenkins to form one of the more explosive backcourts in the league that will also score its share of points.

Up front, the Roughies return seniors Cofie and Matt Fotta, which is a plus. Lopez and Bolmer should see plenty of minutes in the backcourt as well as well as on the wing.

Juniors Dylan Lorah, Cayden Weaver, Josiah LaFond, and sophomore Aiden Reilly will round out the rotation. Snyder has high aspirations for freshman Aalany Nix, who will return to the lineup.

Snyder is optimistic his club can improve on their 9-14 slate from last season, and be a contender in the Colonial League.

“We’re not tall, but we are quick,” he stressed. “We will have to rely on that. We have a good rotation, and the kids are working very hard. They have high expectations for the season, and they believe they can go far.

“We have to keep plugging away and learn how to finish games.”