Palmerton head coach Dan Beck is fully aware of his team’s athletic ability.

So it’s no surprise that he uses it to pressure opponents on defense.

On Tuesday night, the Bombers displayed that pressure in the second half against rival Northern Lehigh. The end result was 26 turnovers, which led to a 50-21 Colonial League victory.

“In the second half, we definitely turned up the pressure,” said Beck, whose team ended the regular season with a 15-7 record and a spot in the league playoffs. “From that, we got some turnovers and that’s our game. In a lot of our games this year the press has helped out, but just being athletic and having that ability helps us out a lot.”

Northern Lehigh stayed within striking distance in the first half, trailing 19-13. However, the third period saw an 18-4 push by the host team that swelled the lead to 37-17.

In the third, Kayla Cincilla had eight of her game-high 14 points. The senior wanted to make an impression in her final home game.

“It’s a rivalry game, those are always the biggest games of a season,” Cincilla said. “Coming out to win against them, it’s just a great feeling, especially at the end of the regular season.”

Palmerton opened the game on a 10-2 run, as four different players scored. However, the Bulldogs responded with their own 10-2 run to force a tie at the end of the first eight minutes.

After Reagan Nemeth opened up the second quarter with a three-pointer, the well went dry for both teams, as neither side could find the bottom of the basket.

Northern Lehigh could only muster a free throw, while Cincilla managed two layups within the final minute of the half.

“It was possibly the last home game for the seniors, and I’m proud of them for sticking with the program. I know tonight meant a lot to them,” Beck said. “It’s a rivalry, and I know they stepped up tonight because I know they didn’t want to lose to (Northern Lehigh).”

After Palmerton’s Brianna Moore stole a pass and laid it in to open the third-quarter scoring, the Bulldogs’ Madison Seier hit a turn-around in the lane. But from there, it was all Bombers as they finished the third on a 17-2 run.

Northern Lehigh (10-12; 7-10) committed eight turnovers in the third, and Palmerton made the most of those opportunities.

“We came in at halftime and we had a talk and said that we weren’t playing our game,” Cincilla said. “We really did a good job at half of fixing our mistakes, and we came out stronger in that second half.”

“We definitely pressured them a lot more in the second half than we did in the first,” added Nemeth. “Creating more distraction caused them to turn the ball over more than usual.”

In the fourth, the Bombers continued to roll, using a 13-4 period to close out the win.

Palmerton will travel to Bangor on Saturday to face the Slaters in the league’s quarterfinal playoff round. The Bombers recently won a 41-35 contest against Bangor and are hoping to maintain their momentum.

“We’re excited to have the opportunity,” Beck said. “When you are playing against a team that you beat already, you go in with a little bit more confidence. We have film on them and we have two good days of practice, which should help out.”

BOMBER BALANCE ... Other than Cincilla’s 14, the Bombers also received eight points from both Bethie Morgan and Nemeth. All but two of their team’s players reached the scoring column.

BY THE NUMBERS ... The Bulldog held a substantial 38-23 edge in rebounds. However, they committed twice as many turnovers (26-13).

NORTHERN LEHIGH

Wilk 1-0-0-2, Lear 2-0-0-4, Hoffner 0-0-0-0, Hoffman 1-5-11-7, Doughtery 0-0-0-0, Seier 2-1-2-5, Peters 0-0-1-0, Kilmek 0-0-0-0, Niebell 1-0-0-3. TOTALS: 7-6-14-21.

PALMERTON

Guedes 1-0-0-2, Molchan 2-0-0-4, Papay 1-0-4-2, Gursky 0-0-0-0, Cincilla 6-1-1-14, Recker 1-0-0-3, Nemeth 2-2-2-8, Morgan 4-0-0-8, Moore 2-0-0-4, Nothstein 1-0-0-2, Smith 1-0-0-3, Balliet 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 21-3-7-50.

No. Lehigh 12 1 4 4 - 21

Palmerton 12 7 18 13 - 50

Three pointers: Northern Lehigh - Niebell 1; Palmerton - Nemeth 2, Recker 1, Smith 1, Cincilla 1.