NASHUA — The students for host Nashua North donned t-shirts demanding a “Titan White Out 2012,” which meant no standing, no movement, no noise.

No way it was lasting four quarters.

The Titans sank eight 3-pointers, four off the fingertips of Ryan Gauthier, and outlasted Gate City rival Nashua South, 59-57, Friday night in Division I boys’ basketball. Gauthier drilled buzzer-beating 3-balls to close the first and third quarters, finished with a game-high 21 points, and led his club to its sixth win in eight league games.

“It was a great atmosphere. The crowd was really behind us a lot,” said Gauthier, who played his second game since returning from a four-game team suspension. “We just pulled it together.”

Jacob Mellin ended the silent night for North’s charged-up student section, which planned to remain quiet until the team hit 10 points. Mellin’s offensive rebound-turned-layup gave the Titans an 11-7 lead midway through the frame.

The decibel level only went up.

Gauthier ended the first quarter with a top-of-the key 3-pointer as time expired. The shot snapped a 17-all deadlock. Anthony Muccioli (10 points) drained a trey 53 seconds earlier to tie the score and send South’s black-clad student section into a frenzy of its own.

“I wouldn’t say it was my 3s (that fueled North),” Gauthier said. “It’s more of a team thing. We passed the ball around and got open looks.”

Dezron Wilson twice struck from 3-point land. Javon Williams (15 points) and Anthony Farmer (nine points) tallied one trey apiece. Williams also displayed a soft mid-range jumper, and Farmer was a shot-swatting presence on defense.

South (5-4) fought an uphill climb since Gauthier’s first buzzer-beater. The Purple Panthers only led once, 7-6. Their largest deficit was 37-27 late in the second quarter.

But Muccioli and Kevin Morrissey (15 points) paced South’s 7-0 run to close the half. The Panthers were forced to make a late-game comeback bid as well.

Gauthier’s end-to-end slashing layup gave North a 58-51 advantage with 2-plus minutes to play. South responded with consecutive jumpers, the second from Yordy Tavarez (nine points).

“We have half a season left, and we have a long way to go to improve,” said South coach Nate Mazerolle, noting his team’s free-throw shooting struggles.

Shortly before Jack Preston (10 points) pulled South within 58-57 in the final seconds, Tavarez and Muccioli stepped to the line. They missed three critical attempts.

Gauthier hit 1 of 2 at the other end, and Williams clinched the win with a steal.

“This is a good ball club we beat tonight,” North coach Stephen Lane said. “This is a big confidence-builder for the kids.”