It was a clear road to victory for Lehighton in Wednesday night’s game against Palmerton.

When the teams met in the first game of the season, the Bombers dominated the Indians en route to a 51-18 triumph.

Wednesday night was a different story for the Tribe. Although it was close at times, Lehighton led the Bombers the entire game. The Indians worked together to shut down the Bombers time and time again in order to walk away with a critical 42-29 Colonial League win.

After several scoreless possessions, Lehighton’s Leah Uyvari drove to the basket with a layup to score the first points of the game, which were the first of her six in the first quarter alone.

Palmerton struggled to get into a rhythm offensively, as its only baskets in the first quarter came from Ella Baumgardt on the foul line at 1:30 remaining, with the first period ending with the Indians leading 11-2.

The Bombers began to play their game in the second quarter, and it became harder for the Indians to execute their offensive plays. Palmerton outscored the Indians 17-13; however, Lehighton maintained its lead.

Lehighton’s Ryleigh Trotman put up eight points in the second quarter, and Uyvari added a three-pointer to the scoreboard with 2:04 left in the half. Palmerton had two back-to-back three pointers by Cate Morgan and Hailey Barry. The three-pointers helped Palmerton find confidence in its game, but it wasn’t enough to set the Bombers ahead of the Indians, who led 24-19 at the half.

Scoring was limited in the third quarter. Morgan put up a three-pointer with 3:46 remaining in the quarter, which put the Bombers closer to the Indians than any other point in the game, trailing just 26-25.

Palmerton’s only other scoring in the quarter came from Barry behind her second three-pointer. Both teams scored six points in the third quarter, with the Indians maintaining a 30-25 lead.

It was Lehighton’s work under Palmerton’s basket that largely contributed to its win. Emma Repsher and Trotman both stood out for the Indians when it came to rebounding and a strong defensive effort. Sophomores Morgan Costenbader and Cayley Reph also both came up clutch at times for the Indians on defense.

In the final eight minutes, the Indians pulled away from the Bombers for good, as Palmerton was only able to put up one basket and two foul shots, while Lehighton had a total of 12 points.

Spirits were high for the Indians, as Costenbader added her only three-pointer of the game, and Repsher added four additional points.

Between Palmerton losing two starters to foul trouble, and the dedication of the Tribe in the fourth quarter, Lehighton was able to walk away with the win.

FOR A CAUSE ... The girls basketball game was the first game of the Palmerton-Lehighton boys and girls doubleheader. Palmerton and Lehighton’s Aevidum clubs teamed up to collect donations for a local food bank and to raise awareness of the club and its purpose for advocating for mental health.

THREE POINTERS ... Uyvari and Costenbader each added one three-pointer for the Indians. Palmerton’s Barry and Morgan both scored two three-pointers in the second and third quarters.

COLONIAL LEAGUE UPSET ... With the win, Lehighton is ninth overall in the league standings, while the Bombers are third. This makes Palmerton 12-3 and Lehighton 7-8 overall in the league. Lehighton continues to improve its record and take steps to earn a potential spot in the playoffs.

LEADING SCORERS ... Uyvari was the leading scorer in the game with 14 points, while Trotman added 12 points and Repsher scored 11 for the Tribe. Baumgardt, Morgan, and Barry all contributed eight points for the Bombers.

PALMERTON

Pengelly 0-1-2-1, Baumgardt 2-4-6-8, Schneider 0-0-0-0, Morgan 3-0-0-8, Wasilewski 0-0-0-0, Green 0-0-0-0, Barry 2-2-4-8, Connell 2-0-0-4. TOTALS: 9-7-12-29.

LEHIGHTON

Arzuaga 0-0-0-0, Reph 0-0-0-0, Klotz 1-0-0-2, Uyvari 6-1-2-14, Trotman 6-0-0-12, Repsher 3-3-3-11, Costenbader 1-0-0-3. TOTALS: 18-4-5-42.

Palmerton 2 17 6 4 - 29

Lehighton 11 13 6 12 - 42

Three-pointers: Palmerton - Barry 2, Morgan 2. Lehighton - Costenbader 1, Uyvari 1.

Records: Lehighton (8-10; 7-8), Palmerton (15-4; 12-3)