The time finally came for the Palmerton High School boys basketball team.

The Blue Bombers have played into the final day, and sometimes the championship game, of the annual Bash at the Beach tournament at Allentown’s Cedar Beach in years past, but couldn’t seem to break through.

Until this year.

Palmerton lost its first game of the double-elimination tournament in the winner’s bracket final on Sunday morning to defending small school division champion Holy Cross, but answered in a big way a few hours later. The Bombers amassed some revenge on the Crusaders, this time when it mattered most, winning the championship 62-60 inside Whitehall High School.

“We’re always right there in the end, but this time we were finally able to break through for a championship,” said Palmerton head coach Ken Termini. “The kids played with a lot of heart, down 15 points and playing the third game of the day against a really good team.

“We always talk about representing Palmerton the right way by playing with heart and pride and they did that today - all weekend actually.”

There were some easy times and some hard times for Palmerton in getting to the title game.

In the opening game Thursday evening, the Blue Bombers erased a slow start and double-digit deficit to defeat Colonial League foe Northwestern, 37-35. Palmerton then went out of District 11 in beating Oley Valley on Friday night before returning to conference competition with a victory over Salisbury, 61-43, on Saturday afternoon.

After falling to Holy Cross in the winner’s bracket final on Sunday morning, the Blue Bombers posted another win over Northwestern, 47-32.

“It was an interesting tournament,” Termini said. “We started out trailing by almost 20 points in our first game Thursday night in extreme heat, but we found a way to win that game. We then played a great Oley Valley indoors, which is a plus for them because they love shooting 3’s, but once again, we found a way to win.

“Saturday just went our way, and then Sunday we faced adversity for the first time with a loss, but bounced back in a big way.”

Matt Machalik, who received the tournament MVP award, and Brayden Hosier, the 2022-23 Times News/Lehigh Valley Heath Network Boys Basketball Player of the Year, both had big games for the Bombers throughout the tournament.

But Termini said the title wouldn’t have been possible without contributions up and down the roster.

“Hosier and Machalik get all of the headlines for us and are great players,” said Termini. “But this summer has been good for us in that we have been developing our role players really well.

“Guys like Aiden Leister, Corey Serfass, Logan Anthony and Trace Stahler played well. Up and down the roster, guys have stepped up and improved their games this summer.”