The three-point shot.

In the modern world of basketball, hitting from distance has become not only more prevalent — but a much-needed weapon.

In Saturday’s District 11 Class 4A consolation at Pleasant Valley, the perimeter game was once again a major factor as Northwestern Lehigh used its outside touch to help earn a 51-34 victory over North Schuylkill and a berth in the state playoffs.

The Tigers went 8-of-21 from beyond the arc, including five from Brook Balliet, while the Spartans managed just 3-of-19. Simple math shows that five extra threes results in 15 more points — which nearly matched the margin of victory.

“We knew going into this game we were going to have to make some three-point shots,” said Northwestern head coach Chris Deutsch. “They play a really good zone, and those are the shots they do give up, but you have to take advantage of it. And I thought we did a good job taking advantage of that.

“You don’t see the mid-range game anymore. It’s either a three-point shot or a layup. We’re not overly big, and we do rely on the three-point shot. It was big today, eight to three in three-point shots, so that makes a big difference ... I think three-point shooting in today’s game, and at all levels, has grown. Watch an NBA game and you could see 70 three-pointers. I don’t think we’re that bad, but in today’s game you have to be able to make three-point shots.”

Balliet knocked down three of her treys in the opening six minutes to help the top-seeded Tigers gain a 17-6 lead. After North Schuylkill rallied in the second quarter, trimming a double-digit deficit to just one by halftime, Balliet connected two more times in the third with her second moving Northwestern’s lead to 41-31.

“We were coming off a terrible loss (to Palmerton in the semifinals), but the girls were pretty focused Thursday (at practice),” said Spartan mentor Rich Wetzel. “We went over how to take those threes away, but we just got lost sometimes.

“I do my research, and (Natalie Conner) was around 60 (threes made this season) and others were in the 20s, maybe 30 at most.

“They’re going to hit some open looks ... It wasn’t like we were going to let her shoot it. But I was more worried about the kid that had 60 than the kid that has 25.”

Balliet — and her teammates — recognized that she was being given ground and made the most of her open looks.

“I definitely had a good shooting day today,” said Balliet, who was 5-of-8 behind the line. “My teammates were finding me and seeing me, and I was open a lot of the time, so I was able to get up a lot of shots ... I’m just happy that I was able to help my team out a lot.

“They were in that 2-3 (zone) and they were leaving me open. We were able to rotate the ball pretty quick, and my teammates were able to swing the ball from one side of the court to the other, and that would lead me wide open. So, I would just take my time on those shots and was able to help me keep my composure when I had a little bit more time.”

While Balliet was hot early, things cooled off for the Tigers in the second frame. The Spartans forced seven turnovers and Northwestern went just 1-of-12 from the floor. That allowed North Schuylkill to get back in the game, as Jadelin Stitzer’s five points helped pull the No. 2 seed within 20-19.

“You have to execute what we go over, and in the second quarter we did what we had to do,” said Wetzel. “We held them to one bucket ... but we didn’t make up enough ground. Free throws (9-of-20 in the game) hurt us a little bit again.

“My kids played hard, and I’m proud of them every single year. We lost four starters and nobody gave us a chance to really do anything, and they did much more than people thought they would.”

Balliet helped the Tigers regain a 10-point advantage, but North Schuylkill managed to narrow the gap again — pulling within 32-29 late in the third.

But a 14-3 run from that point — which included threes from Emma Freeman and Conner and six Spartan turnovers — put the game out of reach.

“I thought Brook got us off to a great start, and then later hit some big threes for us,” said Deutsch. “She stepped up, and I’m really proud of the way she played. She did a great job and that got us going, and I thought we got contributions from multiple players today.

“It’s exciting to be going for another week. We know we’ll have a great challenge ... but it’s good to be with the seniors for a little while more.”

HIGH SCORERS ... Balliet’s 15 points — which were two off her season high — matched North Schuylkill’s Mya Conti for game honors. Cara Thomas netted 14 for the Tigers, while Conner chipped in with 11.

DEFENSIVE PRESSURE ... Northwestern forced 24 turnovers while North Schuylkill committed 19.

UP NEXT ... The Tigers will take on District 12 runner-up Neumann-Goretti in the opening round of states on Saturday.

NORTH SCHUYLKILL

Selgrade 2-0-0-5, Conti 6-1-2-15, Monohan 0-4-6-4, Capone 0-0-0-0, Balicki 1-0-2-2, Ja. Stitzer 1-3-6-5, Kane 1-1-4-3, Halko 0-0-0-0, Kowalonek 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 11-9-20-34.

NORTHWESTERN

Balliet 5-0-2-15, Bissell 0-2-2-2, Freeman 1-0-0-3, Thomas 5-3-5-14, Gober 0-0-0-0, N. Conner 5-0-2-11, M. Conner 0-0-0-0, Reinhart 2-2-3-6. TOTALS: 18-7-14-51.

N. Schuylkill 8 11 11 4 - 34

N’western 17 3 16 15 - 51

Three-pointers: North Schuylkill - Conti 2, Selgrade 1; Northwestern - Balliet 5, Freeman 1, Thomas 1, N. Conner 1.

Records: North Schuylkill (19-8); Northwestern (24-4).