They were right there.

Hosting one of the state’s most formidable squads, 6-1 John Stark, the Spartans were tied at 67-all on Friday, Jan. 12, with under 10 seconds remaining on the game clock.

But they allowed Stark’s Ben Titcomb to sink a 15-foot jumper with six seconds remaining, and then Drou Goff’s three-pointer at the buzzer rimmed out.

And the 4-3 Spartans were left stuck in Class I boys basketball’s version of purgatory – able to hang with the best, but still missing that marquee win indicative of a true contender.

Pembroke’s other losses also came at home to perennial powers St. Thomas Aquinas, 63-58 on Dec. 21, and Portsmouth, 42-37 on Jan. 4.

“I’m trying to establish them as an upper-level Class I team, and we just have to continue playing like we did tonight and be in games,” said second-year head coach Matt Alosa, adding that the field is wide open right now, giving his team a legitimate chance come playoffs in March. “At the end of the year, maybe we can host a tournament game … We’re trying to end up in the top echelon of six, seven, eight teams.”

Despite facing John Stark’s full-court press the entire evening, the Spartans committed just six turnovers. The game included 37 lead changes or ties, including 18 in the first quarter when the squads combined for 51 points.

“John Stark played really well tonight,” said Alosa. “We tried to make kids that don’t normally make shots for them make them, and they did that. To me that’s all you can ask.”

Senior Justin Muniz led the Spartans in scoring with 15 points, followed by fellow guards Jon Grenier, Goff and Taylor Vazquez, 13 points each, and Nick Porter, who contributed 11.

Stark coach Mike Smith said the Spartans’ backcourt is as good as any in the state, something that caused his defense to struggle like it hadn’t all season.

“Both teams shot the ball phenomenally. I don’t think I’ve seen a game where both teams shot the ball this well in a long time,” said Smith. “… Both teams were getting in the way a little bit defensively, but I think anytime our offenses created open shots for people, they knocked them down.”