Playing its third quality foe in four nights, Aberdeen Roncalli found the patience and resolve to record a hard-fought victory.

The Cavaliers used efficient interior passing on offense, and timely shot contesting on defense to grab a 49-45 non-conference boys’ basketball win over Northwestern Friday night at Roncalli Gym. The win capped a four-day stretch that included a win over Tiospa Zina, and a setback to Clark-Willow Lake.

“We came into this week with three teams well above .500 and to go out 2-1, we’re happy about it,” said Roncalli coach Dan Gallagher, “not necessarily satisfied with the way we played, but it’s a lot of things that we can improve on. It’s nice to be able to learn from a win than a loss.”

Roncalli built a lead in the opening quarter that it played with the entire night. Gallagher credited Maddox May for the team’s quick start.

“Maddox May six points in the first quarter really collapsed their zone, so it allowed us to shoot some threes and get an early lead because of him doing his job,” Gallagher said. “He set the tone. He gave us a little cushion that we could build off of and lead with, and then our kids could play from there.”

The Cavaliers once again got a big lift from Darwin Gambler off the bench. The sophomore scored 11 points and brings a high level of energy when he steps onto the court.

“I just pulled the trigger tonight,” Gambler said. “I wasn’t letting go tonight. I was encouraging my teammates on and off the court.”

Still, Roncalli had a difficult time shaking the Wildcats. Northwestern battled back from a 10-point deficit in the opening half and also sliced a 10-point deficit down to five-points midway through the final quarter.

However, the Wildcats failed to cash in on numerous high-percentage opportunities and also missed four straight free throws while they were trying to inch closer.

“They were just so close and you can’t get over that hump,” said Northwestern coach Anthony Redman. “A lot of bunnies tonight. The hoop was just a little smaller than it usually is for us tonight.”

The fact that the Wildcats were so tantalizingly close made those missed chances even more painful.

“That’s the tough part. You go home and those are like screen shots in the mind,” Redman said. “They just don’t go away. They aren’t easy to erase. They just kind of haunt you.”

With the game on the line, the Cavaliers were able to break down the Northwestern defense with pin-point passing. Maddox Miller had three assists and Gambler spotted Aiden Fisher for another key basket to help Roncalli stay in front.

“I just want us to be all around. I’m trying to be all around for my teammates, too,” Gambler said. “I thought tonight was a good night.”

Gallagher was pleased with his team’s court awareness and willingness to work the shot clock down the stretch.

“We’ve talked a lot about ball control, even though it might have not have shown all the way through the game, but at the end, our guys are getting a lot more balance and thinking about the situation,” Gallagher said. “We’re up six. We don’t need a shot. We can run the clock a little bit. Our guys are really starting to understand the game a little bit better.”

Miller led the Cavaliers with a dozen points. Fisher added nine to the Roncalli total.

The Cavaliers, 7-3, host Hamlin on Tuesday night at Roncalli Gym.

Quintin Fischbach scored 12 points and Chase Neiber followed with 10 for the Wildcats. Northwestern has now lost back-to-back games after seven straight wins to start the season.

“You can always take some learning from any kind of loss, but we just kind of move forward,” Redman said. “That’s all we can do.”

NORTHWESTERN (7-2): Lincoln Woodring 1 0-0 2, Nathan Melius 3 0-0 7, Jude Ortmeier 2 2-4 6, Quintin Fischbach 4 2-2 12, Chase Neiber 4 0-3 10, Reilly Schmitt 2 0-0 5, Trey Bourelle 0 3-6 3. Totals 16 7-15 45.

ABERDEEN RONCALLI (7-3): Maddox Miller 4 0-0 12, Caden Shelton 2 0-0 4, Aiden Fisher 3 1-3 9, Jayden Munroe 1 1-2 3, Maddox May 3 0-0 6, Darwin Gambler 4 0-2 11, Zane Backous 2 0-1 4. Totals 19 2-8 49.

Northwestern 12 24 32 45

Aberdeen Roncalli 19 27 39 49

3-point field goals – Melius, Fischbach 2, Neiber 2, Schmitt; Miller 4, Fisher 2, Gambler 3. Total fouls – Northwestern 15; Aberdeen Roncalli 16.