Take care of the ball, and force turnovers.

That was Palmerton’s secret to success on Wednesday night in a Colonial League matchup with rival Northern Lehigh.

The Bombers forced nine first-quarter turnovers, which led to 19 points in the period and ultimately propelled them to a 54-20 win over the Bulldogs.

The intensity level was there from the onset for Palmerton as sophomore guard Matt Machalik got his squad fired up with an opening-play bucket plus the foul on a nifty driving hang and score from the right block.

Then, the Bombers upped the pressure in their man-to-man defense, which gave the Bulldogs fits throughout the first frame.

Machalik was the main benefactor of Palmerton’s transition game created from the turnovers, as he scored 13 points in the quarter.

The result was a 19-8 advantage after one for the Bombers.

“We’ve been working hard on our man-to-man defense, and improving little things here and there that I think has improved the overall effectiveness of our defense,” said Palmerton head coach Ken Termini. “In order for that to happen, everyone has to do their job, and tonight I think we took a step in the right direction in doing that.

“We only had five turnovers in the first half as well, and any time you’re able to take care of the basketball like that and then force turnovers, good things usually happen.”

The Bombers (4-2) were able to extend their lead to 32-12 heading into the half by doing many of the same things that worked in the opening period.

Palmerton forced seven more Northern Lehigh miscues, and held them to just four points.

The Bombers continued to keep the pressure on in the third, and carried a 47-18 advantage into the fourth, before both teams went largely to their reserves for the final frame.

Palmerton put nine players in the scoring column, a sure sign of its ability to spread the ball around.

While the Bombers appeared to be at the top of their game, the Bulldogs (1-3) came in a little rusty after COVID-19 protocols had them off the court and out of the gym for a week.

“I know we caught a little break tonight. I know Northern Lehigh hasn’t been able to get in the gym very much. But ultimately, our kids played really well tonight,” said Termini. “I’m proud of the way we played with a high level of intensity for 32 minutes, no matter who came into the game.

“That’s what we expect, and what we’re building toward. We want to be one of those programs that reloads every season and not rebuilds, and these guys you saw out there tonight, they’re working toward that.”

FILLING IT UP … Machalik scored a game-high 19 points for Palmerton. Chase Reph also had a nice night for the Bombers, scoring 10 points and being a force on the glass. Aiden Parvel led the Bulldogs with seven points.

ACTIVE HANDS … The Bombers defense was impressive in their man-to-man approach, forcing 26 turnovers in the game, while turning it over just seven times.

PALMERTON

Machalik 9-1-2-19, J. Sebelin 0-0-0-0, Robinson 0-0-0-0, Reph 4-2-3-10, Rumfield 1-0-0-2, Leister 1-0-0-2, K. Sebelin 0-0-0-0, Serfass 1-0-0-2, Grammes 1-0-0-2, Hosier 2-0-0-5, Steinmetz 0-0-0-0, Tworkowsky 2-1-2-5, Anthony 3-1-2-7, Figueroa 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 24-5-10-54.

NORTHERN LEHIGH

Frame 0-0-0-0, Parvel 3-1-2-7, Smyth 2-0-0-4, Ramos 2-0-2-4, Simms 0-0-0-0, LoPinto 0-0-1-0, Jimenez 2-0-0-4, Kunkle 0-0-0-0, Buskirk 0-1-2-1, Sosa 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 9-2-8-20

Palmerton 19 13 15 7 – 54

No. Lehigh 8 4 6 2 – 20

Three-Pointers: P-Hosier 1.