The Dartmouth High School varsity boys basketball team ran onto the court just minutes after the junior varsity team played a neck and neck game against Barnstable High School that went into overtime and ended in a close Dartmouth loss.

Once the varsity game began, it soon became clear that the match would be just as tight.

At halftime, the Dartmouth team led by just two points, and going into the final quarter, the score was just as close.

The game ended in a score of 49-54 after a player from Barnstable scored a three pointer followed by a free throw with less than a minute to go.

Head Coach Nick Simonetti attributed the loss to turnovers and “first game jitters.”

The Friday, Dec. 13 game was the first of the season, after scrimmages against Westport High School and Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School.

As for practices ahead, he said the team would probably work on their defense and passing and that they can “thankfully” watch film from the game.

“Once we see the film, we’ll kind of understand what we need to do,” Simonetti said.

The team is relatively seasoned this year, with six seniors, several juniors, and one sophomore, Simonetti said.

And while the season just began, he added that he has some goals for the team.

“I just want us to improve every single time, every single game, every single practice, week by week,” he said. “As long as we’re improving — that’s all we know.”

The team will next play against Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School on Sunday, Dec. 15.

Simonetti said that for now the team will tackle the games as they come.

“Just going game by game, trying to win the next one every single time, playing hard, playing together and just improving each game and not going backwards,” he said.