Northern Lehigh answered every early test Monday night.

The Bulldogs played with poise and purpose, chipping away and making multiple runs as the game unfolded — a response that reflected both their competitiveness and growth under a first-year staff.

Bethlehem Christian eventually pulled away for an 88-68 win in the opening round of the Christmas Basketball Tournament presented by the Rotary Club of Slatington.

The Bulldogs were tested immediately on opening night, facing a Bethlehem Christian team that entered playing confident, fast and aggressive. Northern Lehigh absorbed the early punch, adjusted, and continued to battle for four quarters, even as the Panthers’ scoring depth eventually created separation.

Bethlehem Christian jumped out to a 17-2 lead midway through the first quarter, but Northern Lehigh settled in and began to find its footing. The Bulldogs closed the opening period by trimming the deficit to 21-10, setting the tone for a night that featured several stretches of pushback.

“That’s a very good basketball team,” first-year Northern Lehigh coach Jake Waylen said. “But we’ve shown that we have the grit to rally back when we’re down.”

Northern Lehigh continued to chip away in the second quarter, and briefly put itself within arm’s length. The Bulldogs outscored Bethlehem Christian 21-17 in the period, using an 8-2 run to cut the margin to 35-31 with 35 seconds left in the half. The spurt was highlighted by an end-to-end basket off a steal by Chayce LoPinto, and capped by a finish from Kellen Bauer to make it a four-point game.

Bethlehem Christian answered just before the break, however, as Myles Harris buried a three-pointer in the closing seconds to extend the Panthers’ lead to 38-31 at halftime.

“At halftime, we talked about being resilient,” Bethlehem Christian coach Matthew De Jesus said. “They made a run, cut it close, and we had to respond by playing smarter and staying disciplined on the defensive end.”

The Panthers did just that coming out of the locker room, responding by outscoring the Bulldogs 23-14 in the third quarter. An 11-3 run early in the period pushed the lead back to 15 at 49-34, and Bethlehem Christian maintained a double-digit cushion the rest of the way.

Northern Lehigh found late momentum when Parker Schaffer knocked down a three-pointer in the final 20 seconds of the third, then carried that energy into the fourth. A 7-2 run to open the period cut the deficit to 63-52 with just over six minutes remaining.

But Gabe Transue halted the surge with a three-pointer at the other end, sparking an 8-0 Bethlehem Christian run that pushed the margin back out and kept the Bulldogs at bay.

“We have our guys who can score,” De Jesus said. “But we also need everyone else to contribute — whether that’s rebounds, defensive stops or just making the right play.”

Bauer continued to attack down the stretch, scoring 15 of his team-high 31 points in the fourth quarter. He cut the deficit to 71-56 with back-to-back baskets midway through the period, but Northern Lehigh would get no closer as the Panthers closed it out.

LoPinto finished with 14 points, and Michael Bauer added 11 for the Bulldogs.

Bethlehem Christian was led by Transue’s game-high 34 points — 22 of which came in the second half — and 32 from Harris, who scored 19 of his points after halftime. Deion Swift added 15 for the Panthers, who connected on 11 of 33 shots from three-point range.

Bethlehem Christian, the defending District 11 Class 1A champion, has now scored at least 84 points in three straight games and extended its winning streak to four.

Despite the loss, Waylen said the performance fit a familiar pattern for a Northern Lehigh team that continues to compete against quality opponents.

“We’re close,” Waylen said. “Now it’s about putting four full quarters together and doing the little things — rebounding, making free throws, and finishing possessions.”

UP NEXT ... Northern Lehigh will face Pleasant Valley in Tuesday night’s consolation game.

“There’s no bigger game than the next game,” Waylen said. “Tomorrow is the biggest game of the year for us.”

TITLE TILT ... Bethlehem Christian advanced to the championship game, where it will meet defending District 11 Class 3A champion Catasauqua.

BETHLEHEM CHRISTIAN

Kasper 2-0-0-4, Fraser 0-0-0-0, Harris 10-7-10-32, Transue 14-2-2-34, Rex 0-0-0-0, Brown 1-1-2-3, Rodriguez 0-0-0-0, Primrose 0-0-0-0, Swift 5-3-4-15. TOTALS: 32-13-18-88.

NORTHERN LEHIGH

LoPinto 5-3-5-14, Daubert 0-0-0-0, K. Bauer 14-2-6-31, Salih 1-0-0-3, Ouaziz 0-0-0-0, Karetsky 1-0-0-3, Fox 0-0-0-0, Schaffer 2-0-0-6, Mohrey 0-0-0-0, M. Bauer 2-7-12-11. TOTALS: 25-12-23-68.

Beth. Christian 21 17 23 27 - 88

N. Lehigh 10 21 14 23 - 68

Three-pointers: Bethlehem Christian - Harris 5, Transue 4, Swift 2; Northern Lehigh - Schaffer 2, LoPinto 1, K. Bauer 1, Salih 1, Karetsky 1.

Records: Bethlehem Christian (8-1); Northern Lehigh (4-7)