Like in the preceding girls game, Washington and Farmville Central took a bit of time to find their footing in the Pam Pack’s home opener on Thursday. The game also marked the maiden voyage for a young Jaguars squad.

Washington managed to keep the Jaguars at arm’s length for most of the first quarter and kept the game close throughout, but couldn’t upset the perennial contenders in a 67-60 loss.

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After falling, 60-50, at Conley to open the season, this marked a second competitive loss in as many outings. Washington started 0-4 last season and only earned four wins on the year. Head coach Ralph Biggs expects more of the Pam Pack than just competing.

“It was nice to see the guys execute. We stayed in it,” said Biggs, who is beginning his first full season as Washington’s bench boss. “We did the things we’re supposed to do to win, but we just made a few errors. … I expect to win. Not to be close. I know the history. I feel like if I put the expectations higher and expect more out of them, they’re going to want more out of themselves.”

Thomas Edwards brought a packed-out home crowd alive with the game’s first bucket and Jacquel Winfield followed with a layup of his own. It took the Jaguars nearly three minutes for their first field goal — a 3-pointer by sophomore Justin Wright.

The Pam Pack got a quick spurt capped off by a long-range basket by Edwards to make it 14-6 late in the first quarter. The Jaguars rallied, though. Wright’s triple from the wing knotted the game at 14 apiece by the end of the opening period.

Farmville Central opened the second with a cold-blooded 3-pointer when senior Nate Black gave the visitors their first lead of the game. Washington, however, responded with a 6-0 surge. Jirah Woolard had a transition layup sandwiched between two trips to the free-throw line in which Thomas Edwards went 4-of-4.

Wright nabbed the lead back for the Jaguars, but they couldn’t hand onto it as Dreylon Brooks’ layup with 50 seconds left gave the Pam Pack a 27-26 edge at halftime.

“Washington had a great strategy at the beginning and negated some things I thought we could do,” Farmville Central coach Larry Williford said. “They’re well coached. There’s no question about that. (Biggs) is definitely the right man for the job.”

Farmville Central pulled ahead early in the second half and never trailed again after. Terquavion Smith’s 3 sparked an 8-0 run by the Jaguars that let them pull ahead. Trailing 41-32, Washington didn’t let the game escape them as Uriah Lawrence nailed a trey of his own to help keep the deficit to single digits going into the fourth.

Tyler Harrell had his first and only shot from long range drop to cut Farmville Central’s lead to 50-46 with plenty of time to go. Brooks had a layup to whittle it down to three, 60-57, down the stretch.

But Washington had to resort to fouling late, and Brooks converted on 7-of-8 shots from the charity stripe to close out the win for the Jaguars.