Three Times News area girls basketball teams open their state playoff runs with games on Friday evening.

Northern Lehigh, Palmerton and Marian will all be in action in the opening round of the PIAA postseason.

PIAA Class 2A First Round

No. Lehigh vs. Line Mtn.

Friday, March 10, 7 p.m.

at Line Mountain

LEADING OFF

Northern Lehigh and Line Mountain have both endured a similar drought since their last appearance in the PIAA State girls’ basketball playoffs. It was back in 2011 that the Bulldogs (15-11) advanced to the second round, while the Eagles (13-12) made it to the opening rounds of the 2012 playoffs. Northern Lehigh, the District 11 third-place team, punched its ticket to the tournament with a 62-52 win over Minersville on Saturday. Line Mountain is in the state tournament after a 49-19 setback to South Williamsport in the District 4 championship game.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

NORTHERN LEHIGH – Cadence Peters is the lone upperclassmen in the Bulldogs’ lineup and has been a strong presence under the basket. She averages 4.12 points per game. In the district consolation game, Peters posted double figures for only the third time this season with 10 points in the win. Katelynn Barthold (11.88 ppg) and Aubrey Pollard

(17.08 ppg.) once again led the way for the Bulldogs, as the dynamic duo finished with 27 and 25 points, respectively, in the win against Minersville.

LINE MOUNTAIN – The Eagles spread the wealth, as not a single player averages double figures. Junior guard Brooke Barwick leads the way with 7.16 points per game, while senior forward Hannah Ruohoniemi follows at 7.12 points per game. Liz Spieles (Sr., G, 6.57), Sierra Klinger (Jr., G, 6.48) and Kyleen Michael

(Sr., F, 5.84) round out the Eagles’ potential starting five.

BY THE NUMBERS

- The number of points Eagles’ leading scorer Brooke Barwick had in the District 4 title game.

2

- The number of hours it takes to travel from Slatington to Herndon, the town where Line Mountain is located.

5

- The margin in the Bulldogs’ last PIAA playoff game – a 46-41 loss to Mid Valley, of Throop, in the second round of the 2011 state playoffs.

13

- The number of victories Line Mountain has posted this season. The Eagles are a member of the Tri-Valley Athletic Association East Division and finished with an 8-5 record in the league.

32 - Kyleigh Masser

leads Line Mountain in shots beyond the arc this the season.

44

- The margin in the Bulldogs’ 62-18 opening round victory over Bishop McDevitt in the 2011 state playoffs.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

“Our goal two years ago was to try and get them to elevate so they would be a team that would contend more than stand in the background. Our first year, we got to districts. Our second year, we got to the league playoffs, the district playoffs and now the state playoffs in two years with a very young team. Outside of Cadence Peters, we’re all underclassmen. Looking toward the future, that’s exactly where we want to be,” – Northern Lehigh head coach Chris Heery.

PIAA Class 3A First Round

Palmerton vs. West Catholic

Friday, March 10, 5:30 p.m.

at Bensalem High School

LEADING OFF

Palmerton is ready to put losses in both the Colonial League and District 11 championships behind them with a potential run into the PIAA State playoffs. The Bombers look to put a 53-36 loss to Pen Argyl in the district final well behind them with success in the opening round of states. However, its opponent in West Catholic - a member of the Pennsylvania Catholic League - looks to do the same after suffering a loss in its district playoffs, in which they dropped a 51-38 setback to Imhotep Charter.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Palmerton – Bethie Morgan and Kelsey Balliet are four-year varsity players for the Bombers, as Morgan (89) and Balliet (79) have a combined 168 career varsity games between them. Emily Bollinger (three years, 27 games) and Emilie Peterson (two years, 25 games) are the other two upperclassmen on the Bombers’ squad. Morgan has been the leading scorer as she averages 15.12 points per game, while junior Hannah Barry

follows next in line with 10.96.

West Catholic – Senior guard Amina Reid holds the spotlight reel for the Lady Burrs, as she is a Second Team All-Catholic League nominee and a Division 3 college recruit. Her supporting cast includes a group of four freshmen, including Ciana Blake, Jasmine Butler, Jalyn Moore and Ciana Scott. Senior Khadijah Thomas and junior Laila Farmer

sometimes get the start and other times come off the bench for Burrs’ head coach Messiah Reames.

BY THE NUMBERS

1

- The number of District 11 teams West Catholic has faced this season. The Lady Burrs beat Executive Education Academy Charter School 42-25 on Jan. 6.

3

- The number of times the Bombers have reached the state playoffs in head coach Dan Beck’s five years.

6

- The numbers of Pennsylvania Catholic League championships West Catholic has won, including titles in 2020, 1998, 1977, 1970 and shared titles 1949 and 1948.

12

- The number of games the Lady Burrs won this season. They are 12-11 overall and were 5-5 in the PCL.

18

- The margin of victory in the Blue Bombers’ 49-31 win over Martin Luther King Jr. in the opening round of the 2022 PIAA State playoffs.

2021

- The year when the Lady Burrs won the PIAA State championship, which included a 59-33 victory over Notre Dame of Green Pond.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

“The girls are competitors, and they don’t like to lose … as I hate to lose too. We talked a little bit (about losing in the Colonial League and District title games). We just haven’t played our best two games in the last couple of games. But I’m hoping the team comes to play Friday and plays a little bit better defense. I was kind of disappointed with our play in our last game. The effort is there, the desire’s there, but our shots just weren’t falling that day as our outside game wasn’t going for us. We just need to do a better job of getting the ball inside and penetrating the caps and stuff. Their attitudes are good. They’re disappointed. But we talked to them, and now we’re all ready to move on. We just can’t dwell on the past,” – Palmerton head coach Dan Beck.

PIAA Class 2A First Round

Marian vs. Mast II

Friday, March 10, 7 p.m.

at Marian

LEADING OFF

Marian starts its quest for Hershey in the first round of the Class 2A state tournament against an unknown in Mast II out of District 12 at the Fillies home gym on Friday night. Marian enters as the District 11 champs, while Mast II is the District 12 runner-up. The winner of Friday’s game faces Montrose or Northwest in the next round.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

MARIAN - Kerrigan Digris got the Fillies’ offense going against Tri-Valley in the District 11 2A championship last Saturday afternoon, scoring 10 points in the first half. Digris has been good from beyond the arc, hitting 36 three-pointers on the season. The Fillies’ leading scorer this season, Carly Minchhoff

(12.6 ppg) helped out with 11 points in the win over the Bulldogs.

MAST CHARTER II - According to Maxpreps, the Voyagers are coached by Taylor Dillon and have three seniors on their roster - Ariana Rosado, Victoria Gonsiewski and Robin Charlton

.

BY THE NUMBERS

11

- The Fillies qualified for the state tournament for the second consecutive season by winning their 11th District 11 championship in program history.

6

- Marian has been able to get to the state championship in Hershey on six different occasions. The Fillies have won two state championships; one in 1984, and the other in 2008.

25

- The Fillies pressure defense was impressive in the District 11 2A championship against Tri-Valley. Marian forced 25 Bulldog turnovers in its 21-point victory.

27.9

- According to Maxpreps, this is the average margin of defeat in the Voyagers’ seven losses this season, including a 50-point setback at the hands of Samuel Fels.

29

- Mast II does own a 29-point victory this season, defeating Mariana Bracetti Academy by a 49-20 score.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

“Our goal from the start of this game will be to try and find our rhythm offensively. We have just been out of sync on the offensive end in our last two games, and we haven’t shot the ball well, so getting our confidence back on the offensive end is very important for us. I do like how we are playing defense. It’s probably the best we have played defensively all season long, so we are locked in there. We’re just looking forward to Friday, and the opportunity to continue to compete and grow.” – Marian head coach Damian Fritz.