District 11 champion Palmerton meets District 2 titlist Riverside in the second round of the PIAA Class 3A Girls Basketball Tournament tonight at 6 p.m. in Hazleton.

Palmerton (District 11 No. 1; 24-2) vs. 2-1 Riverside (District 2 No. 1; 21-4)

TIPOFF

– Friday, March 11 at 6 p.m. at Hazleton

COACHES

– Palmerton - Dan Beck; Riverside - Jack Mekilo.

LEADING SCORERS

- Palmerton - Brianna Moore (15.4 ppg), Bethie Morgan (13.7), Raegan Nemeth (8.7), Sydney Frantz (6.0), Megan Matsko (5.1); Riverside - Kylie Lavelle (24.7 ppg), Kate Slaboda (10.2 ppg), Paige Olanovich (6.3 ppg).

NOTES

... Palmerton defeated District 12, No. 4 seed Martin Luther King, 49-31, in the first round of the 3A State Tournament on Tuesday. Bethie Morgan had 13 points and Brianna Moore came through with 10 for the Bombers. Riverside defeated District 4, No. 2 seed Towanda, 57-29. Kylie Lavelle, who averages almost 25 points per game, scored 30, while Kate Sloboda, Paige Olanovich and Lillie Pon all chipped in eight points for the Vikings ... Both Palmerton (11) and Riverside (2) are district champions ... Riverside’s Lavelle will present a significant challenge for the Bombers. The 6-2 senior - who is headed to Division 1 Drexel - can play both inside and out. In addition to her prolific scoring average, she is also a force on the boards, averaging 10 rebounds per game. Lavelle also leads the Vikings in three-pointers with 34 and is a matchup nightmare, having attempted 152 free throws on the season ... Palmerton will be looking to start fast against the Vikings as it did against Martin Luther King. The Bombers got off to a 17-0 start and forced 11 first-quarter turnovers ... The Bombers win against Martin Luther King was their first PIAA Tournament victory since 1997. That season, Palmerton won three state playoff games and advanced to the Eastern Final before suffering a loss to Trinity.

COACH’S QUOTE

: “They have a Division 1 talent in Lavelle, and then two or three really solid players around her. Our goal is to limit Lavelle’s touches, and hold her to 15 points or fewer. That would really be a key if we could do that. We also have to be able to adapt, and react quickly to their tendency to switch things up defensively. They like to trap, then they will play man or even sit in a 2-3 zone, so we need to be able to adjust on the fly and take care of ball.” - Palmerton head coach Dan Beck