A team wants to be playing its best basketball late in the season - and Palmerton is doing just that.

The Bombers (11-4) came into their contest against rival Lehighton on Wednesday riding an eight-game winning streak after starting the season 2-4.

Palmerton used a strong defensive effort to extend its streak of consecutive victories to nine, defeating the Indians 55-43 and taking home the Route 248 Trophy.

In the first quarter, creating turnovers and working hard on the offensive glass helped the Bombers get out to a 14-5 advantage. Palmerton’s 2-2-1 full-court pressure forced six Tribe turnovers in the first quarter, and its ability to create second chance opportunities set the tone early.

“Tonight was a little slower pace than we are used to playing. But that’s an adjustment we had to make, and it fit the game situation,” said Palmerton head coach Ken Termini. “I think we did some nice things defensively, and we’ve been working on some stuff that I think showed on both offense and defense tonight.

“The guys have faith in each other, and faith in our system, and we’re seeing the rewards of that right now.”

Palmerton extended its lead to 23-12 at the half, but the Indians would put together a run in the third quarter behind Zach Hunsicker’s eight points.

Trailing by 13 early in the third, back-to-back triples by Hunsicker and Tyler Rehrig cut the Bombers’ lead to single digits around the six-minute mark.

But just as it did throughout the night whenever Lehighton would mount any sort of momentum, Palmerton would answer. The Blue Bombers answered this Indians’ surge in a big way, outscoring the Tribe 14-3 the rest of the frame to take a 41-23 lead into the fourth.

Consecutive buckets by the Bombers’ impressive freshman Matt Machalik started the run. Machalik scored six points in the third on his way to leading Palmerton with 14.

“We were able to claw our way back at different times tonight, but unfortunately we just got too far behind and we couldn’t overcome that,” said Lehighton head coach Trevor Miller. “Early on, we gave them too many second-chance opportunities, and I think we were too stagnant on the offensive end.

“But in the end, you can’t put yourself in a hole like that. You can’t get down like that early in the game.”

LEADERS

... Machalik led the way for the Bombers with 14. Tyler Stuck added 13, Kody Kratzer had 12 and Owen Buck chipped in with 10. For Lehighton (6-8), Hunsicker scored a team-high 13 and Mason Costenbader helped out with 10.

DOMINANT DEFENSE

... The Bombers defense forced nine first-half turnovers, and held Richard Yturrino, Lehighton’s leading scorer, to just two points.

LEHIGHTON

Strauss 1-0-0-2, Hoffman 1-1-2-3, Lutz 0-0-0-0, Schaeffer 0-0-0-0, Lorenz 3-0-0-7, Yturrino 1-0-0-2, Hunsicker 5-1-2-13, Guyn 1-0-0-3, Rehrig 1-0-0-3, Costenbader 4-2-2-10. TOTALS: 17-4-6-43.

PALMERTON

Connell 0-1-2-1, Kratzer 4-3-4-12, White 2-0-2-4, Reph 0-1-2-1, Whitney 0-0-0-0, Robinson 0-0-0-0, Sebelin 0-0-0-0, Bates 0-0-0-0, Hosier 0-0-0-0, Stuck 5-1-3-13, Frank 0-0-0-0, Buck 4-2-2-10, Machalik 5-4-6-14, Anthony 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 20-12-21-55.

Lehighton 5 7 11 20 - 43

Palmerton 14 9 18 14 - 55

Three-pointers: L - Hunsicker 2, Lorenz 1, Guyn 1, Rehrig 1. P - Stuck 2, Kratzer 1.