There’s probably no two teams that practice the same way.

But there is one area that gets attention from every head coach.

Whether it’s uptempo clubs or deliberate squads, teams with or without size, perennial powers or struggling programs, they all dedicate time to shooting free throws.

On Tuesday night, Palmerton’s ability to convert at the foul line - especially in the second half - allowed it to hold off rival Northern Lehigh for a 54-48 Colonial League victory in both team’s regular-season finale.

The Blue Bombers hit on 14-of-22 free throws over the final two quarters and scored their final 12 points from the line to help earn the win.

“They fouled us and we did a nice job of making foul shots,” said Palmerton mentor Dan Beck, whose club officially secured a berth in the upcoming district playoffs by virtue of a winning record in the league.

“I feel confident with the girls at the line. We work on free throws a lot and they did a nice job of that. We shot a good percentage ... It means something to us to end the league with a winning record. Overall, we won eight games last year and we’re at 10 now, so I think the program is going in the right direction.”

Beck’s team was headed in the right direction midway through the third quarter after a Raegan Nemeth three-pointer and a pair of driving baskets from Brianna Moore pushed the score to 38-30. But the Bulldogs battled back, using an 8-0 run to tie the contest. Jada Saeger, who tallied a game-high 25 points, accounted for five of those points.

A putback by Baylee Guedes, however, gave the Bombers (10-12; 9-8) the lead heading into the final frame. And thanks to the free-throw line, they held the advantage the rest of the way.

The margin never got above five points in that fourth quarter, and Nolehi got within two at 48-46 on a Saeger three-pointer with 1:14 to play, but Palmerton closed out the contest standing 15 feet from the basket.

“We work a lot at practice on foul shots,” said Kayla Cincilla, who hit on eight free throws and scored a team-high 16 points. “It just goes to show that that all the work we put in pays off in the game. It was big to stay on top. We came in at halftime and said we can’t let them get ahead. Last year, they got ahead .. and it got into our minds. But this year, we knew if we stayed ahead, we’d have a good mindset and finish the game strong.”

“Getting ahead was nice, but it was never enough,” said Beck. “I wanted to get up eight to 10 points ... A four-point lead is never enough against Northern Lehigh. They can turn it on pretty quickly. They didn’t give up. They’re well-coached, they’re well-schooled and they probably have the best player around.”

The Bulldogs, who led early in the contest and were up 22-21 with three minutes left until halftime, ended their season with an 8-14 overall record and a 6-11 mark in the league.

“In the second half, I thought our defense was much better,” said Northern Lehigh head coach Ken Shankweiler. “They only got one field goal in the fourth quarter, but we had to put them on the line. I’m really proud of the way the girls finished. They played strong and hard. And you can’t ask for more.

“We missed districts by one game again this year. I think we would have been in with a win ... We had chances. There were a bunch of games we could have pulled out, but unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be.”

STRONG START ... Northern Lehigh jumped out to an early 12-6 lead in the first four minutes, scoring their points on four three-pointers ­— three by Emma Niebell. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, they shot just 2-of-10 from distance the rest of the way.

BOARD WORK ... Moore finished with a game-high nine rebounds, while three Nolehi players - Niebell, Lauren Hoffman and Madison Seier - each had eight.

SENIOR SALUTE ... The game was the final one for Bulldog seniors Saeger and Kate Guelcher. “Katie’s a good kid and always does her best,” said Shakweiler. “Jada’s stats speak for themself. She’s a hard worker, and a team leader. They’ll both be missed.”

PALMERTON

H. Guedes 0-0-0-0, Papay 1-4-4-6, B. Guedes 2-2-2-6, Cincilla 4-8-14-16, Recker 1-0-0-3, Nemeth 2-2-4-8, Moore 6-2-4-14, Nothstein 0-1-2-1. TOTALS: 16-19-30-54.

NORTHERN LEHIGH

Guelcher 1-0-0-2, Lear 0-0-0-0, Hoffman 1-4-4-6, Saeger 9-5-6-25, Seier 0-2-2-2, Niebell 4-1-3-13. TOTALS: 15-12-15-48.

Palmerton 17 10 13 14 - 54

No. Lehigh 14 8 16 10 - 48

Three-pointers: Palmerton - Nemeth 2, Recker 1; No. Lehigh - Niebell 4, Saeger 2.