The Tamaqua girls basketball team takes on Allentown Central Catholic tonight in the semifinal round of the District 11 Class 4A playoffs.

CLASS 4A GIRLS SEMIFINAL

No. 7 Tamaqua (12-11) vs. No. 3 Allentown Central Catholic (16-10)

TIP-OFF

– Wednesday, Feb. 28 at Whitehall HS, 6 p.m.

COACHES

– Tamaqua: Erika Davis; Allentown Central Catholic: Mike Kopp

LEADING SCORERS

– Tamaqua: Emma Kuczynski (So., 17.58 ppg), Emily Titus (Jr., 10.17), Kirstin Jones (Sr., 6.88); Allentown Central Catholic: Margauz Eripret (Sr., 11.8 ppg), Jess Davis (Jr., 8.5), Emily Vaughan (Fr., 3.0), Diana Kocsis (Sr., 2.3)

GAME NOTES

– Tamaqua has some momentum on its side after knocking off No. 2 seed Northwestern, 58-51, in the quarterfinals on Saturday. No. 3 seed Allentown Central Catholic advanced with a 55-48 win over Wilson ... Eripret led the Vikettes in their quarterfinal victory with 29 points, while Kayla Reed and Jess Davis both finished with 10 ... Eripret is a four-year starter with 811 career points, while Davis is a threat from beyond the arc with 100 career three-pointers … Kayla Reed, a transfer from Palisades, leads the Vikettes with 98 steals and 42 assists ... Tamaqua’s Coach Davis is well aware of how dangerous ACC’s top two players will be to defend. “Davis and Eripret are the solid nucleus of their team. Davis has a good handle and can shoot outside, along with drive to the hoop. Erirpret is fundamental and can shoot and finish around the basket, while crashing the boards hard. We must locate where they are at all times.” … Coach Kopp has been with the Vikettes program for 38 years and has an overall record of 902-218 … Under Kopp’s guidance, the Vikettes have won seven PIAA state titles, 22 District 11 championships, and 23 conference titles. “ACC is a very respectable ball club under Coach Kopp,” Coach Davis said. “They are not going to beat themselves. We must play our best game of the year to come away with another win.” … Tamaqua is in the District 11 playoffs for a second straight year after missing them the prior three years. Last season, it was the Vikettes who knocked out Tamaqua with a 42-26 decision in the quarterfinal round … The last time the Blue Raiders played in a semifinal game was 2013 when they lost to Notre Dame-Green Pond. They advanced to the semis after a victory over Panther Valley in the quarters ... Tamaqua’s last win in the semifinal round came in 2011. The Blue Raiders defeated Jim Thorpe (43-30) in the quarters and Southern Lehigh (48-38) in the semis. Central Catholic defeated them in the finals.

QUOTEABLE

– “We are excited, focused, and hungry to go up against ACC. We played them last year and didn’t stand a chance with how we opened up our first half with them. We have to stay composed and disciplined on the defensive end because we know how patient and fundamentally sound ACC is on the offensive end. The win against Northwestern certainly puts a pep in our step.” — Tamaqua coach Erika Davis.