Drive and kick.

It’s a term used often in the game of basketball to describe a team or player’s ability to penetrate the opposition’s defense and find open shooters.

On Thursday, in the opening round of the Colonial League playoffs, Palmerton was able to do just that against Northwestern.

The Bombers moved the ball beautifully and crisply throughout the game and their shooters knocked down open looks consistently as they defeated the Tigers, 63-50, to advance to league semifinals.

With Northwestern coming out in an aggressive 2-3 zone defense to start the game, it was paramount for Palmerton to get off to a good start shooting the rock.

Enter Matt Machalik, who got the Blue Bombers aligned for their first bombing run by starting the contest with back-to-back triples. In all, Palmerton hit five three-pointers in the first quarter, carrying a 21–10 lead after one. Chase Reph, Kyle Sebelin and Brayden Hosier all also nailed trifectas in the frame.

“We obviously shot the ball very well, but I think that was a product of our patience on offense and us sharing the ball,” said Palmerton head coach Ken Termini. “When you’re patient and run your stuff and look for the best shot instead of the first shot, good things will happen.

“I think your shooting percentage will always be solid if you’re able to do that on the offensive end of the floor.”

The Bombers continued their hot shooting in the second quarter, extending their advantage to 35-18 at the half. Machalik, who had eight in the first period, once again led the way with nine in the second as Palmerton finished the first half shooting 6-for-12 from beyond the arc and 13-for-26 from the field overall.

Palmerton kept Northwestern at an arm’s length for most of the third quarter and took a 50-36 cushion into the final period.

The Tigers didn’t go quietly, however, as they used the three-pointer to get their offense going. Northwestern hit five triples in the second half, including and two early in the fourth quarter from Cayden Fitch and Eli Zimmerman to close the gap.

An 8-0 run brought Northwestern within 52-44 with 6:30 remaining But as they did throughout the night, any time the Tigers would mount any sort of momentum, the Bombers would shut the door.

Palmerton answered the call again as Jacob Grammies converted a three-point play, which put the Bombers back up 11. It proved to be a lead that would never get below double digits the rest of the way.

“Tip your hat to them. They created their own momentum by making some shots in the second half and they turned us over a little more than we would’ve liked,” said Termini. “But our kids deserve some credit as well. They stayed poised, kept their cool, and figured it out.”

NEXT UP ... No. 4 seed Palmerton will now take on No. 1 seed Southern Lehigh on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at Catasauqua. The other semi will feature No. 3 seed Wilson against No. 2 seed Notre Dame Green Pond.

LEADERS ... Machalik put in a terrific effort, scoring a game high 28 points. Fitch led the Tigers with 13 and Ethan Lazarus and Cade Christopher each added 10.

NORTHWESTERN LEHIGH

Fitch 5-1-1-13, Christopher 4-0-0-10, Zimmerman 1-0-0-3, Nelson 0-2-2-2, Lazarus 4-2-2-10, Heilman 2-0-1-4, Witkowski 3-0-0-8. TOTALS: 19-5-6-50.

PALMERTON

Machalik 11-3-7-28, Robinson 1-0-0-2, Reph 3-0-0-7, K. Sebelin 1-2-2-5, Grammes 3-2-3-8, Hosier 2-2-2-7, Anthony 3-0-0-6. TOTALS: 24-9-14-63.

Northwestern 10 8 18 14 - 50

Palmerton 21 14 15 13 - 63

Three-pointers: Northwestern - Fitch 2, Christopher 2, Witkowski 2, Zimmerman 1; Palmerton - Machalik 3, Reph 1, Hosier, 1, Sebelin 1.