EASTON — This one felt like bumper cars at an amusement park.

Weatherly and Bethlehem Christian banged inside and outside. Wherever there was a loose ball, no one gave an inch in the District 11 Class 1A championship. In the end, the Panthers pulled away for a 28-18 victory.

It wasn’t a game for the ages, but it meant plenty to the Wreckers — perhaps even more than the Panthers. Weatherly, with just two seniors, relied heavily on its youth.

“I was proud of the way they fought, the hustle was there,” Weatherly coach Jason Kane said. “They could have gave up, they hung in.”

Grit doesn’t always win games, but it carried the Wreckers here and earned them another opportunity. Weatherly advances to the first round of the PIAA tournament next Saturday.

Kane said his goal was to keep Bethlehem Christian under 30 points.

“My goal was to hold them under 30, which we did, but when you only score (18) you are not going to win many games that way,” he said.

Weatherly struggled offensively, making just seven of 50 shots. Bethlehem Christian also attempted 50 shots but made 10.

“We accomplished what we wanted,” Bethlehem Christian coach Greg Duff said. “We’ve been here the last two years, and I’m so proud of these girls they worked so hard, they wanted it.”

The Panthers never trailed, taking an 8-3 lead after one quarter. Senior Paige Kreider led the way with 12 points, scoring all of the team’s points in the second quarter. Elyse Khachadorian added nine points. Together, they combined for 21 of the Panthers’ 28 points.

Weatherly was sparked by senior Kelly Reiner and freshman Macie Kane, who each scored seven points. Kane grabbed 11 rebounds, and Reiner added eight.

Bethlehem Christian threatened to pull away in the second quarter with a 4-2 run. Khachadorian converted a basket and a foul shot, and Kreider added a free throw.

Kane opened the quarter with a drive for two points, and after the Panthers built a 12-5 lead, Reiner made a free throw. Kane later scored to cut the deficit to 12-8.

The Panthers closed the half on a 3-0 run to take a 15-8 lead into the break. They extended the advantage in the third quarter, outscoring Weatherly 6-2 during one stretch. Kreider scored three points, while Aubrey Merisca and Khachadorian each added a basket.

Reiner scored after missing a free throw, and Kane added back-to-back baskets, but Weatherly remained in catch-up mode.

Bethlehem Christian sealed the win early in the fourth quarter with four straight points to take a 26-16 lead with 1:10 remaining.

“You know they got momentum, then we couldn’t score, “ Kane said. “There were a number of reasons that we didn’t score… coming in we knew it was going to be a (tough) task. Hey, we get one more game out of it, it’s great for the seniors and the younger players to gain some experience.”

It was a tough outing, but a strong effort for Weatherly, which played hard throughout. As Kane noted, the hustle and desire were there. The offense simply fell short.

There were bodies diving on the floor and plenty of bumps and bruises. Both teams played as if a state title were on the line.

One left with gold medals, the other with silver — and memories.

Weatherly’s next stop is South Philadelphia for the PIAA tournament.

WEATHERLY

Reiner 2-3-6-7, Kane 3-1-6-7, Marasco 1-0-0-2. Way-Heffner 1-0-0-2, Kehler 0-0-0-0, Snyder 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 7-4-12-18.

BETHLEHEM CHRISTIAN

Kreider 5-2-4-12, Khachadorian 3-2-2-9, Merisca 2-0-2-4, Morea 1-0-0-2, Wilson 0-1-2-1, Yarnell 0-0-0-0, Quarmount 0-0-0-0, Morea 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 10-5-12-28.

Weatherly 3 5 6 4 - 18

Beth. Christian 8 7 7 6 - 28

Three-pointers: Weatherly - None; Bethlehem Christian - Khachadorian 1.

Records: Weatherly (8-16); Bethlehem Christian (21-3).