The Weatherly girls will be playing for a district title today, while the Palmerton girls will also be in action hoping to keep their season alive.

The Wreckers face a strong Bethlehem Christian squad in the Class 1A final. The Blue Bombers, meanwhile, take on North Schuylkill in the 4A consolation round.

Weatherly has alreay clinched a state playoff berth. The winner of the Palmerton-North Schuylkill contest will also advance to the PIAA postseason.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

District 11 Class 1A Final

No. 3 Weatherly (8-15) vs.

No. 1 Bethlehem Christian (20-3)

Saturday, Feb. 28 at Easton, 11:30 a.m.

LEADING OFF

Weatherly put together one of its best performances of the year in a 32-19 win over defending 1A champ Notre Dame East Stroudsburg in the semis. Bethlehem Christian handled Salem Christian, 43-26. The Wreckers are after their first district championship since 2019.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Weatherly - Kelly Reiner (Sr., 9.14 ppg, 23 three-pointers), Maci Kane (Fr., 6.17 ppg)

Bethlehem Christian - Abigail Wilson (Jr., 13.9 ppg, 53 three-pointers), Paige Kreidler (Sr., 7.5 ppg, 19 three-pointers).

BY THE NUMBERS

10 - Kane, a freshman, not only was a factor in the scoring department, but also on the boards. Kane came down with 10 rebounds in the game against Notre Dame.

24 - Reiner and Kane combined to score 24 of the Wreckers’ 32 points in the win over the Spartans. Reiner led the way with 14 points and Kane added 10 points.

44 - The Wreckers will need to put together another strong defensive effort. The Panthers average almost 44 points per game, while Weathelry is averaging just 22.65 points per contest.

86 - Bethlehem Christian is a solid team from beyond the arc. The Panthers’ top three scorers in Wilson (55), Kreidler (19) and Elyse Khachadourian (14) have combined for 86 three-pointers on the season.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

“Our game plan isn’t really going to change much from the game plan we just had against Notre Dame. They can shoot the ball, so we’re going to come out in our man-to-man defense, and we’re going to be aggressive and be in their face and try to limit as much outside shooting as we can. Pressuring the ball is going to be key. On defense, they like to mix it up. They’re going to play both zone and man, so we have to be ready for that. This is the first time we’ve been in this position since the 17-18 season, I believe, so we’re all excited. We’re looking forward to getting out there and competing.” - Weatherly head coach Jason Kane.

District 11 Class 4A Consolation

No. 5 N. Schuylkill (17-9) vs. No. 3 Palmerton (17-8)

Saturday, Feb. 28 at Executive Education, 12 p.m.

LEADING OFF

Both Palmerton and North Schuylkill will hope to keep their seasons alive when they meet in the 4A consolation game. The winner will advance to the state playoffs. The Bombers fell to Central Catholic in the semifinals, while the Spartans were upended by Blue Mountain the same round. “We know we’re going to have to move the ball around and knock down shots,” said Palmerton head coach Jeremy Coleman. “We’re going to also have to handle their press and pressure and take care of the ball. And, if we do that, we should be in good shape and give ourselves a good chance to win the game.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

North Schuylkill - Mya Conti (Sr., 16.5 ppg), Gianna Capone (Jr., 9.0 ppg), Monica Selgrade (So., 7.7 ppg), Ella Digris (So., 5.0 ppg), Jadeline Stitzer (Jr., 4.3 ppg, 9.24 rpg).

Palmerton - Cate Morgan (Sr., 9.96 ppg.), Hailey Barry (Sr., 8.52 ppg.), Emma Rex (Sr., 8.12 ppg.), Avery Barry (Fr., 5.13 ppg.), Alisyn Green (Sr., 4.00 ppg).

BY THE NUMBERS

1 - The number of common opponents North Schuylkill and Palmerton shared this season. The Bombers traveled to Lehigh Valley Academy back in January and registered a 58-32 win, while the Spartans hosted the Jaguars on Feb. 4 and recorded a 67-31 victory.

3 - The jersey number worn by North Schuylkill senior shooting guard Mya Conti, who pretty much “runs the show” for the Spartans. Bomber head coach Jeremy Coleman and his players will be focused on the talented Spartan. “A lefty guard. Shows she can drive. She can shoot. But it’s not just her alone, as they have some other girls that can hurt you as well.”

8 - The point difference in last year’s District 11 Class 4A semifinal game between Palmerton and North Schuylkill, in which the Bombers escaped with a 47-39 victory in overtime. The Bombers’ Hailey Barry and the Spartans’ Mya Conti tied for game-high honors, as both players connected for 13 points.

12 - The early deficit the Bombers faced Wednesday against Allentown Central Catholic, who opened the game with a 12-0 run. The Bombers battled back but Central pulled away late. “That got ourselves in a hole early, and I was proud of the girls for fighting and getting out of that big hole. We gave ourselves a chance going into the fourth quarter, as we were only down by five points.”

CLOSING THOUGHTS

“A lot of the girls took the (district semifinal) game pretty hard. Pretty disappointing to not make it to the championship game. But it does make things a little easier knowing that you still have one more game to play … especially knowing we have so many seniors on our team. So, they’re really determined to not make this next game their last game. They want to win this and keep going considering they can continue to play with their friends.” – Palmerton head coach Jeremy Coleman.