Jim Thorpe's strategy against Northern Lehigh was simple, yet effective.

Olympians' head coach Jason McElmoyle wanted his team to establish a presence inside and make the most of a size advantage his squad had over the Bulldogs.The plan worked to perfection, as Jim Thorpe earned a 59-45 victory over host Northern Lehigh on the opening night of the 34th Annual Slatington Rotary Basketball Tournament."I think our post guys made a big difference," McElmoyle said afterward. "We were able to get the ball inside and tonight we were able to finish, whereas on other nights we haven't been able to do that."Rayan (Green), Shane (Snisky), Matt (Elmore)…those guys all made their presence felt and our guards did a hell of a job getting them the ball and that was the difference."Sporting an average height of just over 6-4, Green (14), Snisky (13) and Elmore (12) combined to score 39 of the Olympians' 59 points.Jim Thorpe's (4-5, 1-2) ability to score in the paint was an aspect of the game Northern Lehigh head coach Jeff Miller admitted he was concerned about."They were athletic and physical, and they controlled the inside," Miller said of the Olympians. "We tried to limit their looks, but (Rayan) Green is just big and he's able to do a lot for them."Green was a force from the opening tip, scoring six of his 14 points in the first quarter while helping Jim Thorpe grab an early 16-9 lead after eight minutes of play.As the Olympians raced out to a 31-19 halftime advantage, Northern Lehigh (1-6, 0-4) struggled to find its rhythm offensively during the first two quarters, something Miller credited to his team's demeanor and Jim Thorpe's defense."Their size certainly hurt us," Miller noted. "We had worked pretty hard, and I thought we were prepared for their 1-3-1 (zone defense) and we knew what they were going to do."But we were a little bit timid, especially in that first half. In the second half, I thought we played a little bit better and attacked more. But the slow start in the first half, especially in the first quarter, really hurt us."While McElmoyle noted the quick start certainly made the game easier, he was quick to mention that sustaining the advantage was key."I think it helped, but I think what was more beneficial for us was keeping it," he said. "We've had that early lead a few times in the past and kinda left our foot off the gas."And they (Northern Lehigh) can shoot; they're a great shooting team. They made some runs (in the second half) and you have to give them credit for what they did because they cut it a couple of times. But our guys just stuck to the game plan and it ended up being successful."Northern Lehigh managed to cut Jim Thorpe's lead to 11 at 38-27 midway through the third quarter. But the Olympians answered with a 10-2 run that stretched into the fourth quarter and ultimately put the game out of reach.The Bulldogs, who will face Palmerton tonight at 6:30 p.m., were led by Tyshawn Golden's 14 points, with Joe Egan chipping in 13.What awaits the Olympians now is a meeting with Lehighton tonight at 8:00 p.m. After suffering a 72-51 loss to the Indians earlier this month, a chance for a rematch is something Green and his teammates are looking forward to."It's gonna be a challenge," Green said, "but if we work hard and play together, we can beat them."JIM THORPECarroll 0-1-2-1, Veney 3-0-0-7, Elmore 6-0-0-12, Micciche 4-1-2-9, Green 5-4-6-14, O. Snisky 0-2-2-2, Luciana 0-0-0-0, McElmoyle 0-1-2-1, Jefferson 0-0-0-0, S. Snisky 5-3-6-13. TOTALS: 23-12-20-59.NORTHERN LEHIGHGolden 6-0-0-14, Meixsell 0-0-0-0, Egan 5-1-1-13, Taylor 2-2-2-8, Smith 0-0-0-0, McNair 1-0-0-2, Seiler 1-0-0-2, Hoffman 1-0-0-2, Sheetz 1-0-0-2, Hamm 1-0-0-2. TOTALS: 18-3-3-45.Jim Thorpe 16 15 11 17 - 59No. Lehigh 9 10 8 18 - 45Three-pointers: JT - Veney 1; NL - Golden 2, Egan 2, Taylor 2.