When they needed a play, they made it.

When they needed a stop, they got it.

Facing a double-digit deficit in the second half, the Palmerton girls basketball team showed the heart of a champion to rally past Southern Lehigh 50-43 in the Colonial League quarterfinals on Tuesday.

The third-seeded Bombers will travel to No. 2 Notre Dame Green Pond tonight for their semifinal matchup at 5 p.m.

“I didn’t say too much at halftime, but I just told them that we’ve been down before and we’ve come back and won,” said Palmerton head coach Dan Beck. “We just have to play our game. And they did.

“They were patient with it, and they just chipped away here and there. It was a great team win.”

Down 11 points in the third quarter, Palmerton (10-4) went on a 12-2 run that ended with freshman Sydney Frantz hitting a three-pointer to cut the deficit to 34-33 with under a minute remaining in the period.

It was the closest Palmerton had been since trailing 13-12 with 6:15 to play until halftime.

Kaya Mobley (13 points) gave the Spartans (6-7) a 37-33 advantage heading to the fourth with her third triple of the game.

But Palmerton kept digging. A basket from Bethie Morgan (10 points), and another trey from Frantz gave the Bombers a 38-37 lead early in the fourth.

“I was just calling for the ball, they gave it to me and I shot it,” said Frantz. “It felt amazing. It’s huge. I’m a freshman, and it’s just different for me.

“It’s crazy. It’s not expected, but I really wanted to step up … and we all contributed.”

The defense clamped down, holding Southern Lehigh without a field goal in the final period and surrendering just six points.

Clutch free throw shooting (8-for-10) in the final 1:55 sealed the win.

“Defensively, they stepped it up in the fourth quarter,” said Beck. “They really did a great job, and I’m very proud of them.”

Brianna Moore scored a game-high 14 points for Palmerton.

“We came out strong (in the second half),” said Moore. “We were rebounding, we were playing good defense, communicating; just everything we needed to be doing to be able to win this game.

“Southern Lehigh is a good team, and it was a tough fight for us, so we’re really proud to be able to come back and win.”

The Spartans led 11-10 after the first quarter, but found their rhythm offensively in the second period to build a 25-17 cushion at the break.

Caroline Bennett scored all eight of her points in the frame, while Lauren Conron added four of her 10.

“They shot very well in the first half,” Beck said of Southern Lehigh. “We knew who their shooters were, and Mobley is one who usually drives to the basket, but we left her alone a few times and got punished for it.”

As the offense hit its stride, Bennett and Holly Walter played solid defense on Moore and Morgan to limit their chances.

“They had a good game plan coming out here; they were able to stop a few of our key players, and they did really well defensively,” said Moore. “So we knew we had to change something, and we were able to work with it and come out and play better in the second half.”

Moore and Morgan found ways to contribute on both ends of the floor, and Frantz, Kiersten Gursky (eight points) and Raegan Nemeth (six) kept battling to put the Bombers over the top.

“I think this is an honor for all of us because we all contributed and have played well this whole season,” said Frantz.

LAST TIME … Palmerton lost to Notre Dame Green Pond 55-54 on Feb. 8.

STUDENT SECTION … With the Palmerton girls playing the first game of a doubleheader Tuesday, the boys squad spent the majority of the contest spread out in the bleachers offering support before getting ready for their quarterfinal matchup against Salisbury. The girls returned the favor, staying for the boys game.

SOUTHERN LEHIGH

Walter 2-4-4-8, Lewis 0-0-0-0, MacIntosh 0-0-0-0, Bennett 3-0-0-8, Schmitt 2-0-0-4, Mobley 3-4-4-13, Conron 4-2-2-10. TOTALS: 14-10-10-43.

PALMERTON

Frantz 2-2-2-8, Gursky 4-0-0-8, Matsko 1-0-0-2, Balliet 1-0-0-2, Nemeth 2-2-2-6, Morgan 4-2-2-10, Moore 2-9-14-14. TOTALS: 16-15-20-50.

So. Lehigh 11 14 12 6 - 43

Palmerton 10 7 16 17 - 50

Three-pointers: Southern Lehigh - Mobley 3, Bennett 2. Palmerton - Frantz 2, Moore 1.