BETHLEHEM TOWNSHIP - Defense and foul shooting can take teams a long way in the playoffs.

Northwestern used both to secure a 52-32 win over host Moravian Academy Saturday in a Colonial League girls basketball quarterfinal. The Tigers played lockdown defense for a nearly eight-minute stretch in the first half before knocking down all 14 of their fourth-quarter foul shots to cruise to the win."We played with a lot of energy today," said Northwestern head coach Chris Deutsch. "I thought our defense was so much better than the first time we played them."Northwestern lost 52-45 in its first meeting against Moravian, but then beat the Lions eight days later, 48-32, on Jan. 19.In Saturday's grudge match, the Tigers (16-7 overall) almost held Moravian Academy (18-5 overall) scoreless for the second quarter.Northwestern, which was the No. 5 seed after going 13-5 in the regular season, opened the second quarter with an Abby Chisdak three-pointer, starting an 11-0 run that ended when the Lions' Quinn O'Connor scored with 31 seconds left before halftime. The second-quarter defensive effort turned an 8-5 deficit after one period into a 19-12 lead at halftime."We didn't do anything different [in the second quarter]," said Chisdak, who scored 17 points, pulled down seven rebounds and had four steals. "We made sure to play good help defense.""Intensity played a big part in it," said teammate Gabby Sevrain, who scored seven points and dished out five assists.The Tigers forced just two Lions turnovers in the first quarter, before getting the Lions to commit 16 more over the next three periods.Moravian, the No. 4 seed after going 14-4 in league play, cut the deficit to five points twice in the third quarter, but it couldn't stop Northwestern's Leighanna Lister under the basket. The junior forward scored six of her game-high 19 points in the second quarter. She also pulled down 10 rebounds to help her team out-rebound the Lions 34-20.Lister also helped keep Moravian post-player Maya Ettle, who is listed on the roster at 6-foot-3, to just six points in the game.The Tigers took a 30-21 lead into the fourth quarter and extended at the free throw line. Chisdak led the effort at the line, going 8-for-8 in the fourth quarter. The Tigers went 18-for-19 from the foul line in the contest.Cecily Redfern scored 10 points for the Lions.Northwestern moves on to Tuesday's league semifinals, where it will meet the top seed and defending league champ Southern Lehigh, which went 17-0 in the regular season. The Spartans will be tough to beat, but the Tigers could be peaking at the right time."We've played pretty many good games this season, but this game is up near the top," said Chisdak.DEBUT APPEARANCE ... The game marked Moravian Academy's first appearance in a Colonial League girls basketball playoff tournament. The Lions joined the league in the 2014-15 season and went 1-17. They went 8-10 last year before taking second place in the West Division this year to finish a game ahead of the Tigers.BEEN THERE, DONE THAT ... The Tigers, which own league title trophies from 2006, 2007 and 2014, made their seventh straight appearance in the league tournament. The last time they were not a part of the event was 2010.BRIGHT FUTURES ... Northwestern's starting lineup Saturday included four juniors and a sophomore. The Lions start a pair of seniors alongside a junior and two freshmen in Ettle and O'Connor.PLAYOFF SCHEDULE ... If the Tigers can beat Southern Lehigh, they'll face either No. 3 Bangor or No. 2 Notre Dame (Green Pond) in Friday's title game. The Slaters beat Salisbury in Saturday's other quarterfinal game. Southern Lehigh and Notre Dame had first-round byes.NORTHWESTERNStitzel 0-0-0-0, Lister 7-5-5-19, Chisdak 4-8-8-17, G. Sevrain 2-3-4-7, S. Sevrain 2-0-0-5, Williamson 0-0-0-0, Christopher 1-2-2-4. TOTALS: 16-18-19-52.MORAVIAN ACADEMYFerrari 2-4-5-8, Machinski 1-0-0-2, Spugnardi 0-0-0-0, Joseph 0-1-2-1, Redfern 5-0-0-10, Ettle 2-4-4-8, O'Connor 1-1-2-3. TOTALS: 11-10-13-32.Northwestern 5 14 11 22 - 52Moravian Academy 8 4 9 11 - 32Three-pointers: NW - Chisdak 1, S. Sevrain 1; MA - None.