The close ones are always the toughest games to lose.

The Hampton High School boys' basketball team may know that better than any other team in the WPIAL.

A 60-55 loss to Valley on Jan. 11 dropped the Talbots to 7-7 overall and extended a losing streak to four games, all of the losses coming by five points or less. Earlier in the season Hampton had lost two one-point games -- to Pine-Richland and Mars.

Joe Lafko, in his 12th season as Hampton's head coach, said he has never seen a team lose so many close games.

"Throughout the years you may have two or three of those kinds of losses, but never ever this many," Lafko said. "I keep telling our kids we have to continue to get better.

"With all these close losses there might be a little more emphasis on free throws or a little more tenacity on defense."

Hampton bounced back after that Valley loss and won four consecutive games, including a 68-50 win over Ambridge at the Pittsburgh Showcase at Robert Morris on Sunday. The Talbots also knocked off Mars and Kittanning in that stretch to climb back into playoff contention in Section 1-AAA. But another close loss on Tuesday -- a gut-wrenching 67-64 decision against Indiana on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer -- has left the Talbots with a 5-5 section mark, 11-8 overall.

They still hold a lead for the fourth and final playoff spot in the section over fifth-place Knoch (3-4) for the last playoff spot. They travel to Knoch tomorrow night for an important section contest. A victory against the Knights will clinch a playoff spot for the Talbots.

Hampton returned only one starter from last year's team that won 22 games and shared the section title with Highlands. Senior Dan O'Mara is back from that team and he is leading the team in scoring with 13 points per game.

After the Knoch game, Hampton closes out the section portion of its schedule with a home game against Highlands on Tuesday before facing Moon Area and Laurel Highlands in non-section games to end the regular season.

"We have put together an excellent schedule with good [non-section games] scheduled against Moon and Laurel, two other playoff teams," Lafko said. "There are a lot more competitive teams to play and that is what high school basketball is all about."

Sophomore guard Nate Winek, senior forward Pat Dill, junior guard Matt Nadia and Bill Luther, a 6-foot-5 junior forward, are the other starters for the Talbots.

Dill with 10.2 points per game is one of three Hampton players in double digits along with O'Mara and Tim Donegan, who has been nursing an ankle injury. Donegan also leads the team in rebounding with 7.2 per game.

Luther is one of the team's best outside shooters as he has converted better than 38 percent made from behind the 3-point line. He is also averaging 9.5 points per game and second on the team in rebounding with 6.6.

"Statistically, we have four guys near double digits. That makes you tough to guard because you have any number of people who can beat you," Lafko said.

"[Losing close games] has been a challenge from a mental state. You see the frustration level because we have been so close before. I can't say enough about our team's resilience to come back and compete. We have done that and that's all we can ask from them."

Lafko has been especially pleased with his team's performance on defense. They are limiting teams to 52.6 points per game. Like last year's team, they are the best defense in the section statistically.

"I think our team has bought into the fact that defense will win games," Lafko said. "We will always emphasize defense. Our kids know that defense can be a constant out there night in and night out. They have really taken that to heart."