Two of the top three teams in the Colonial League squared off Friday night at Salisbury High School in what could be a preview of a postseason matchup in either the league or District 11 playoffs.

Northwestern Lehigh brought a three-game winning streak into the matchup, while the Falcons entered riding a seven-game surge. In the end, Salisbury’s defense took control, pulling away for a 56-41 victory.

Both teams, capable of putting points on the board, combined for just 15 points in the first quarter, with Salisbury holding a 9-6 edge.

As the game settled in, each side began to find ways to attack defensively, but it was the Falcons who created separation by knocking down three shots from beyond the arc to take a 27-18 lead into halftime.

The second half belonged to Salisbury senior Steven Lozada, who scored 16 of his game-high 23 points after the break. Lozada provided the offensive spark, while junior Julian Makhoul set the tone defensively.

Rebounding also played a key role, as Salisbury controlled the glass throughout the half.

With 3:44 remaining in the third quarter, Lozada grabbed an offensive rebound and quickly drove to the basket for a layup, pushing the lead to 37-23 and marking Salisbury’s largest advantage of the night to that point. The basket capped a 10-0 run that took just under two minutes off the clock.

“They rebound the ball well, and then they take a lead and they’ve got really good guards and spread you out,” Northwestern coach Pat Wanamaker said. “All that being said, we were a couple rebounds away from a two-possession game in the fourth quarter, so the execution just wasn’t there.”

Northwestern opened the fourth quarter with its first sustained run of the night, outscoring Salisbury 9-2 to trim the deficit to eight with 3:37 left. The teams traded baskets until Salisbury’s defense locked in down the stretch. The Falcons then sealed the win by converting five of seven free throws in the final moments.

Lozada’s 23 points led all scorers, while Makhoul finished with 15 for Salisbury. For Northwestern, Brady Krimmel and Malachi Coleman scored 11 points apiece.

“I don’t think we were ready. I don’t know if it was a mental thing or a physical thing, if we’re tired — I’m not sure,” Wanamaker said. “I thought we had an opportunity to come down here to a good environment, and I don’t know that we gave our best effort tonight, and I think it showed at times on the court.”

STOP SQUEAKING ... Basketball courts can sometimes get dusty, causing players to lose traction when stopping or turning. Brady Zimmerman attempted a basketball version of a brake check to clear his shoes, but it came while Makhoul was preparing to shoot his second free throw. The shot missed, but officials awarded Makhoul an additional attempt, ruling the action an intentional distraction. Makhoul missed the extra free throw, and the sequence did not impact the outcome.

POSTSEASON POSTINGS ... Northwestern is currently seeded third in the District 11 Class 4A standings, just behind Allentown Central Catholic. Salisbury holds the top spot and is the only 4A team to have clinched a district berth. The Tigers need one more win to secure a playoff position. In the Colonial League, Northwestern leads the West Division, but Salisbury moved ahead in the overall standings to take second place behind Notre Dame–Green Pond.

Salisbury and Notre Dame are scheduled to meet Tuesday night.

NORTHWESTERN

Bollinger 2-2-5-6, Zimmerman 2-0-2-5, Snyder 0-0-0-0, Fitch 2-0-0-4, Krimmel 3-3-4-11, Wertman 2-0-0-4, Coleman 4-0-0-11, Mish 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 14-5-11-41

SALISBURY

Lozada 8-5-7-23, Leiner 1-0-0-2, Kloosterman 0-0-0-0, B. Gonzalez 0-0-0-0, Petrie 5-1-3-11, Cady 2-0-0-4, Muth 0-1-2-1, Smarch 0-0-0-0, Makhoul 5-1-4-15. TOTALS: 21-8-16-56

Northwestern 6 12 12 11 — 41

Salisbury   9 18 18 11 — 56

Three-pointers: NWL — Coleman (3), Krimmel (2), Zimmerman; SAL — Makhoul (4), Lozada (2)

Records: Northwestern Lehigh (10-4 overall, 9-2 Colonial); Salisbury (13-1 overall, 9-1 Colonial)