Ryan Sitko stole the ball near midcourt with nothing between him and a game-tying layup. But the Upper Perkiomen senior couldn't convert. His miss late in third quarter Friday helped cost the team a 51-39 loss to Owen J. Roberts in the Pioneer Athletic Conference.

        "The play definitely took the wind out of our sales," Indians head coach Jared Krupp said. "That sort of thing will happen to a young team."

        Down 30-20 early in the third quarter, Ryan Kendra scored eight points to spark an 11-3 run for Upper Perkiomen. His layup late in the quarter pulled the team within 33-31.

        Sitko's steal on the Wildcats' ensuing possession appeared to set up the game-tying basket. But his shot hit the rim and rolled off.

        A quick three-point play at the other end by Avery McDougal staked Owen J. Roberts to a 36-31 edge with 1:23 remaining in the quarter.

        A foul shot by sophomore Liam Boyle brought the Indians within 39-35 with 5:32 remaining in the fourth quarter. But they got no closer.

        "If Ryan makes that layup, our momentum would have grown," Krupp said. "We probably would have hustled back on defense."

        Kendra said a tie game would have likely propelled Upper Perkiomen to its first PAC-10 victory of the season.

        The coach said he liked the way the other four players responded to the pivotal miss. During the next stoppage, they offered Sitko their support.

        "Those guys did a great job picking Ryan up," Krupp said.

        According to the coach, the unsuccessful layup wasn't the only reason the Indians lost.

        "We didn't make enough shots," he said.

        In the fourth quarter, the Indians missed eight of their initial nine shots from the field. Owen J. Roberts reeled off 10 consecutive points to extend a 39-35 advantage. Justin Cervi scored half of those points, including free throw to open a 49-35 lead with one minute remaining.

        Cervi led a balanced attack for the Wildcats with 12 points. McDougal delivered 11 points and Bobby Walker added 10.

        "I was happy with how we executed our shots within the offense," Krupp said. "They were taken from the proper spots on the floor. We didn't force any."

        Kendra scored a game-high 14 points for Upper Perkiomen (0-4 PAC-10, 2-6 overall). Stitko finished with two three-point goals and eight points. Boyle added six points.

        According to the coach, the Indians made significant strides in ball-handling over their last two games. Krupp said they committed far too many turnovers in consecutive losses to Pottstown (77-51) on Dec. 11 and Pottsgrove (65-14) on Dec. 15.

        "Both those teams are a trap," Krupp said. "They are so aggressive. They pressed us all over the floor. They forced us into so many mistakes. So we spent (Wednesday) and (Thursday) focused on taking care of the basketball."

        Still, the players remain confident they will win the conference, according to the coach.

        "I thought this was our chance," Krupp said. "But I know the players believe that if they play their game, they can compete with anyone in the PAC-10."