Palmerton and Northwestern - who came into Thursday’s Colonial League showdown with a combined 31-3 record between them - battled back and forth in a game that wasn’t decided until the final seconds.

The Tigers’ strong first-half performance in the paint proved to be just enough as they held off a fourth-quarter Bombers’ surge to come away with a 43-40 road victory.

A 9-2 run to start the first quarter by the Tigers (17-1, 12-1) helped them capture momentum early. Leading scorer and post presence Page Sevrain scored multiple times inside to help Northwestern get off to a strong start.

That approach by Northwestern continued in the second quarter as Sevrain added eight more points, and the Tigers paint touches and high-efficiency looks propelled them to a 29-17 advantage at the half.

Northwestern’s long and lengthy defense also caused the Bombers (15-3, 13-1) issues in the first half as they shot just 7-for-27 from the field. The Tigers ability to contest shots at the basket made it difficult for the Palmerton offense to score inside, and it couldn’t get its outside game going either as it shot 1-for-9 from beyond the arc.

“We felt coming into the game, we definitely had a size advantage, and that was something that we hoped to take advantage of,” said Sevrain. “My teammates were able to find me early in the game, and I was able to make some shots and get our offense going.

“I thought defensively we were able to create some momentum as well, getting rebounds and getting stops.”

Trailing by 12 to start the second half, the Bombers’ goal was to try and chip away at the lead, which they did in the third quarter, outscoring Northwestern 11-7. A big three by Hannah Barry and six points from Bethie Morgan - who scored just four points in the first half - helped the Bombers get back in the game as they cut their deficit to 36-28 heading into the fourth quarter.

“I thought we did a much better job of keeping Sevrain from catching the ball deep in the paint in the second half,” said Palmerton head coach Dan Beck. “We had Megan Matsko front her more and gave Megan some more help on the backside, which worked well.

“We also tweaked our defensive pressure a little bit, going with some man pressure, and that created some havoc and got us some turnovers and good looks. Our girls fought back and never gave up, so we were really proud of that.”

Palmerton’s comeback continued in the fourth quarter. Morgan started off the quarter with a deuce and then after a bucket from Northwestern’s Maci Fisher, Morgan answered with a triple to make it a five-point game (38-33).

Palmerton’s pressure continued to fuel its surge as the fourth went on as it closed within 39-37 after two Morgan buckets with under two minutes left.

But the Tigers were finally able to break the Bombers’ pressure, getting a key basket from Brook Balliet, and a strong drive from Cara Thomas that ended in a great bounce pass to an open Sevrain for an inside lay-up, which helped close out the game.

“We’re coming close to the postseason here now and when you get into the postseason, games are going to be tight. So, this past week has really been a good test for us, getting close wins against two good teams in Notre Dame and Palmerton,” said Northwestern head coach Chris Deutsch. “How do you react in those late-game situations? That’s always the key, and our girls responded tonight.”

LEADING SCORERS … Morgan led all scorers with 21, scoring 17 in the second half. Sevrain led the Tigers with 19 and Thomas added 11.

OFF THE GLASS … Northwestern was able to control the boards, especially in the first half when it built a 12-point lead. Sevrain ended with 10 rebounds, Thomas added six and Fisher came through with five.

RUBBER MATCH … The Tigers and Bombers have played three games against each other each of the last two seasons, and it could happen again this season - in the Colonial League playoffs. Northwestern has defeated Palmerton the last two years in the Colonial League title game.

PALMERTON

Baumgardt 0-0-0-0, Frantz 1-2-3-4, Barry 3-0-0-8, Matsko 3-1-2-7, Balliet 0-0-2-0, Morgan 9-2-2-21, Connell 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 16-5-9-40.

NORTHWESTERN

Balliet 3-1-2-7, Miller 0-0-0-0, Thomas 4-2-3-11, Fisher 3-0-0-6, Gober 0-0-0-0, Sevrain 8-3-4–19. TOTALS: 18-6-9-43.

N’western 13 16 7 7 - 43

Palmerton 7 10 11 12 - 40

Three-pointers: Palmerton - Barry 2, Morgan 1; Northwestern - Thomas 1.