Experience vs. inexperience.

That was the storyline coming into the season opener for local rivals Palmerton and Lehighton.

The Bombers, a veteran group with over 90% of their scoring returning from their team that won 18 games a season ago, were able to make a few more plays than the young Indians squad down the stretch to defeat Lehighton, 45-35.

Offense didn’t come easy for either team, but Palmerton was able to take advantage of eight Tribe turnovers in the first quarter to lead 11-4 after one.

The first points of the game didn’t come until the 5:47 mark, and the Bombers 6-0 run midway through the first put them in control early.

The Indians would come out strong in the second quarter, and did a better job of taking care of the basketball, committing just two turnovers in the frame. Lehighton’s focus on getting the most out of its offensive possessions – paired with two big triples from freshman Cole Dietz – helped the Tribe outscore the Bombers 13-8 in the second, cutting their deficit to just two points (19-17) heading into the half.

“The stretches during the game where we took care of the ball, and we didn’t turn it over, we were able to do some good things,” said Lehighton head coach Trevor Miller. “The concern coming in, playing against an experienced team, with good active athletes, was the turnovers, and yes, we did have some lost possessions. But this team never gave up, and that’s one thing I can say about this group, is that I never have to worry about their heart or desire. They never gave up and they never went away.”

Lehighton started the third with momentum, going on a 7-3 run with Joe Roth starting the quarter with a deuce, Owen Serfass adding a bucket and Dietz hitting another three to give the Indians their first lead of the game 24-22 at the six-minute mark.

However, after that moment, the Bombers would utilize their experience and physicality to finish the third quarter on 10-0 run, with six of those points coming off two Lehighton turnovers and a strong putback off an offensive board from Chase Reph.

“Give a lot of credit to Lehighton tonight, because the way they played had a lot to do with our struggles, but we struggled early on to convert on some good looks and that certainly had an impact on the game as well,” said Palmerton head coach Ken Termini. “I think the difference for us, and what gave us some breathing room eventually, was that we started to take the ball to the rim, instead of settling for jump shots. We didn’t start doing that until about halfway through the third quarter, and then we outscored them 23-11 over the course of the next 12 minutes.”

The Indians did keep battling throughout the fourth, closing back to within five midway through the quarter after a Blake Roberts three, but clutch foul shooting the rest of the way from Palmerton, especially from junior guard Brayden Hosier – who went 7-for-8 from the charity stripe in the fourth – helped it close out the win.

YOUNG GUNS

… It was an encouraging debut for two freshmen who got the start for the Indians. Dietz (11 points) and Roberts (8 points) combined for 19 points and four three-pointers.

LEADERS

… Hosier led all scorers with 17 for Palmerton. Jacob Grammes added nine, and Matt Machalik added eight as for the Bombers.

PALMERTON

Machalik 3-2-4-8, Sebelin 0-0-2-0, Robinson 1-1-3-3, Reph 2-0-0-4, Rumfeld 1-0-0-2, Leister 0-0-0-0, Serfass 0-0-0-0, Grammes 2-4-6-9, Hosier 4-9-12-17, Stahler 0-0-0-0, Anthony 1-0-0-2. TOTALS: 14-16-27-45.

LEHIGHTON

Hawk 1-0-0-2, Light 0-0-0-0, Serfass 3-0-0-6, Blauch 0-1-4-1, Roberts 3-1-2-8, Kemmerer 0-2-2-2, Roth 1-3-4-5, Dietz 3-2-2-11. TOTALS: 11-9-18-35

Palmerton 11 8 13 13 -45

Lehighton 4 13 7 11 - 35

Three-pointers: Palmerton - Grammes 1; Lehighton - Dietz 3, Roberts 1.