The Mathews High School boys’ basketball team’s season came to an abrupt end Friday night in the first round of regional play as the host Blue Devils fell to the visiting Middlesex Chargers, 61-50.

The game, the nightcap of a playoff doubleheader that had already seen the Mathews girls beat Colonial Beach (see related story), didn’t start off well for the Mathews boys, who trailed almost from the opening tip.

The Chargers continued to expand on their lead as the game progressed, and Mathews found themselves facing a steep 23 point deficit halfway through the second quarter. The Blue Devils finally found some momentum, and began to slowly close the gap.

Middlesex continued to play tough and made things hard for Mathews. By halftime, the team still trailed by 15 points. The team found a spark during halftime, and came out strong in the third quarter, closing the gap in a matter of minutes. At one point the Blue Devils were only two points down, but Middlesex manage...