ALLENTOWN - Central Catholic is a difficult opponent during any postseason.

This year, the Vikettes enter districts just a week after seeing a 10-game winning streak snapped and had the added luxury of playing at home in their quarterfinal playoff game against Tamaqua.

The hosts jumped on the Blue Raiders early and pulled away in the third quarter for a 55-39 District 11 Class 4A playoff win at Rockne Hall.

“I was really proud of how we started out right in the beginning,” said Central Catholic head coach Mike Kipp. “We told the kids they have to match our intensity.”

Central used pressure defense in the first quarter to force seven turnovers while taking an 18-7 lead.

The No. 6 seed Raiders (12-10) tried to claw back in the second quarter. They didn’t let the lead grow higher than 11 points and had it down to just seven points twice, the second time coming after a McKenna Meckes three-pointer with 44 seconds left in the first half that made it 27-20.

“We didn’t start the game off the way we wanted to and we could never really get back onto our feet from turning the ball over,” said Tamaqua head coach Erica Davis. “We didn’t handle the ball the way we should have and against an ACC team you know you can’t dig yourself a hole.”

Central (14-3) pulled away in the third quarter. Six different Vikette players scored in the quarter, including five points from freshman Molly Driscoll as the Vikes went on a 17-0 run over the first six and half minutes of the second half to take a 47-20 lead.

“We told them at halftime they’re not going to give up,” said Kopp. “We came out in the third quarter and it was a 19-3 run.”

Tamaqua went 1-for-9 in the third period and didn’t score a second-half point until Trenyce Dingler hit a three-pointer with 1:25 left in the third quarter.

“I said to Trenyce (in the third quarter ‘when you step over halfcourt you have the green light to shoot,’” said Davis. “She did that and put on a shooting clinic for us.”

Dingler made three more treys in the fourth quarter and five in the contest to score a game-high 17 points.

But it was too big of a hill to climb. The Vikettes turned the ball over just twice in the entire game and moved the ball well on offense, posting 14 assists on 23 field goals.

Tamaqua couldn’t seem to get quality shots against Central’s defense.

“I thought we were too timid offensively,” said Davis.

BOUNCE BACK ... Central entered district play coming off a 38-29 loss to Class 6A top seed Nazareth in their regular season finale on Feb. 26.

NEXT UP ... The Vikes advance to take on North Schuylkill in the district semifinals on Monday.

END OF THE ROAD ... With the end of Tamaqua’s season comes the end of the high school basketball careers of Raider seniors - Makenna Kane, Sophia Boyle, Emma Hope and Ally Frederick. “When you’re told you might not have a season and then we were able to successfully have one, I’m very proud of them,” said Davis. “I’m going to miss them. they were leaders.”

TAMAQUA

Kane 1-0-0-3, S. Hope 0-0-0-0, Jones 2-1-1-5, Meckes 2-0-0-6, Boyle 2-0-1-4, Wingler 6-0-0-19, E. Hope 2-0-0-4. TOTALS: 15-1-2-39.

CENTRAL CATHOLIC

Brickhouse 2-0-2-4, Saccani 0-0-0-0, Vaughn 1-0-0-3, Hoeing 4-0-0-8, Reed 0-2-2-0, Dietz 2-0-0-4, Hagadus 0-0-0-0, Roth 5-2-5-12, Szooke 4-2-2-10, Martinez 0-0-0-0, Kofroth 0-1-2-1, Driscoll 5-0-0-11. TOTALS: 23-7-13-55.

Tamaqua 7 13 3 16 - 39

Central Catholic 18 11 19 7 - 55

Three-pointers: T - Wingler 5, Meckes 2, Kane 1; CC - Vaugh 1, Driscoll 1.