FITCHBURG – The attitude of the Athol boys summer basketball team improved on Tuesday night against Oakmont. Unfortunately for Athol, the result was not much better, losing 42-32 in the Monty Tech summer basketball league.

Athol falls to 1-8 on the summer season and continue to move farther behind in the standings after being eliminated from playoff contention in their previous game against Mahar. Athol sits five games out of a playoff spot with two left in the summer season.

“I loved the way they played defense,” said Athol summer coach Mark Ferrari Sr. “Without a doubt, they played defense and played good all game. They played with the intensity. They wanted it, you know. They’re maybe getting it because we screamed at them all day, for awhile you know.”

Noah Pottinger returned to the lineup for Athol and netted a team-high eight points. Pottinger was one of several to return for Athol, a list that included Manny O’Lari (four points) and Nathan Heath (one rebound). Connor Mahony also joined the summer team for the first time, netting four points.

“It changes the people that were here. It changes the attitude in general,” said Ferrari Sr. about the additions. “I think you’re getting young kids here, we have an eight grader come up, he’s now going into ninth grade, and they don’t want to act like that in front of these kids. They don’t want to be negative and we had some younger classmen here and that helps out tremendously.”

Athol pulled as close as two points in the second half, but couldn’t catch Oakmont down the stretch. After Athol pulled within 23-21 on a 3-pointer from Pottinger with 17 minutes and six seconds left in the second half, Oakmont quickly stretched its lead to 10 at 31-21 just under four minutes later.

Athol pulled as close as six points at 33-27, but Oakmont stretched its lead back out to 11 at 38-27 with four minutes left in the game. Oakmont eventually won by 10 points.

Oakmont also led 19-14 at halftime. After going down 12-6 in the beginning stages of the game, Athol pulled within two at 12-10 with just under six minutes left in the first half. Oakmont quickly stretched its lead to seven at 17-10.

Athol will face Leominster on Thursday at 5 p.m.