They are two teams currently headed in opposite directions.

The Northern Lehigh girls started the season slow, but have turned things around and are now playing their best basketball.

Northwestern, on the other hand, has struggled a bit down the stretch and are looking for a way to right the ship.

On Friday night, both trends continued as the Bulldogs broke a tie late in the second quarter and went on a huge run that extended through the third frame en route to a 65-47 Colonial League victory.

The win by Nolehi snapped a 24-game losing streak against the Tigers - a stretch that dated back 13 years.

“I knew it was a long time,” said Bulldog head coach Chris Heery about the drought against Northwestern. “Right now, we’re just trying to get ready for the postseason. We started off really slow this year, which we knew we would. It took us a while to gel, and we’re playing well now.

“We are playing the best that we’ve played all year, but I don’t think we’ve peaked. There are some things we need to make adjustments on that we haven’t yet. But we’re getting there.”

Heery’s club did everything right during a nine-minute stretch that turned a deadlocked game into a rout.

Knotted at 25-25 with three minutes left until halftime, Dekota Barthold and Tegan Simms hit three-pointers in back-to-back possessions. Aubrey Pollard later added a driving bucket that gave the Bulldogs an eight-point advantage at the break.

The momentum continued into the third quarter as Katelyn Barthold got to the rim three times and Dekota Barthold hit another from distance during a 16-0 start to the second half that ballooned the score to 49-26.

“They were just better tonight,” said longtime Tiger mentor Chris Deutsch, whose team missed 10 straight shots from the floor in the third frame. “They played harder than we did. They out-executed us. They shot very well, and out-rebounded us ... They looked for one another, and I just thought they played really well.

“Basically, four of our last five games we haven’t been very good defensively. It’s always been our calling card since I’ve been here coaching. It’s got to get better because they did whatever they wanted to do tonight. They got open shots. We just couldn’t do anything. We have a lot of work ahead of us.”

Speaking of work, Northern Lehigh’s Aubrey Pollard out-worked Northwestern’s team off the glass. The senior pulled down 17 rebounds, including nine at the offensive end. She helped the Bulldogs finish with an impressive 36-21 board advantage.

“Our adrenaline kept carrying us in the game,” said Pollard, who also scored a game-high 20 points. “We kept talking to each other ... and I think talking throughout the game helped a lot.

“I definitely think we’re playing our best right now. From the beginning of the year until now, it’s definitely improved a lot. Only time can tell how much better we can get ... The win can give us some confidence heading into the playoffs, but we can’t have a big ego.”

Pollard was one of four Bulldogs to reach double-digit scoring in what proved to be a balanced attack. Katelyn Barthold finished with 16, Simms added 13 and Dekota Barthold tossed in 11. For the Tigers, Cara Thomas collected a team-high 16 points.

WHERE THEY STAND ... Northern Lehigh and Northwestern are both 11-5 in the Colonial League with each having a game remaining. Currently, they are the fourth and fifth seeded teams and would face each other in the quarterfinal round of the league playoffs. After starting 1-5, the Bulldogs are now 14-7 overall. The Tigers have dropped three of their last five and are 16-5.

KEY LOSS ... Northwestern’s second-leading scorer Brook Balliet was injured early in the game and didn’t return to the floor.

REMEMBER WHEN? ... The last time Northern Lehigh defeated the Tigers was Feb. 3, 2011 when the Bulldogs rolled to a 52-23 decision. Aimee Oertner’s 18 points led Nolehi in that contest.

NORTHERN LEHIGH

Whalen 0-2-4-2, Williams 0-0-0-0, K. Barthold 7-2-3-16, Pollard 8-5-11-21, D. Barthold 4-0-0-11, Simms 5-0-1-13, Snyder 1-0-0-2. TOTALS: 25-9-19-65.

NORTHWESTERN

Balliet 0-0-0-0, Schaffer 1-2-2-5, Freeman 3-0-0-9, Thomas 8-0-2-16, Fenstermaker 1-1-2-3, Minnich 1-0-0-2, Conner 0-0-0-0, Gober 4-0-0-9, Reinhart 1-1-2-3. TOTALS: 19-4-8-47.

Northern Lehigh 16 17 20 12 - 65

Northwestern 16 9 7 15 - 47

Three-pointers: Northern Lehigh - Simms 3, D. Barthold 3; Northwestern - Freeman 3, Schaffer 1, Gober 1.