Play time is over for the Southern Lehigh High School girls basketball team.
The Spartans have been overwhelming favorites throughout the Colonial League regular season. They know, however, that their margin for error no longer exists.
Top-seeded Southern Lehigh, ranked No. 2 by lehighvalleylive, started its postseason journey with a 54-38 victory over fifth-seeded Northwestern Lehigh in the Colonial League semifinals at Catasauqua High School.
The Spartans advance to meet Notre Dame, which defeated Bangor, in the league final 6 p.m. Friday at either Freedom High or Easton Area Middle School (wherever the EPC final isn’t).
Southern Lehigh (22-1) opened the game on an 8-0 run but truly took control thanks to a 16-1 streak to close out the first half. The Spartans led 31-13 at intermission.
“We were shooting well,” Southern Lehigh coach Matt Cooper said. “I think the girls were comfortable and they moved the ball around well. Jenna (Cyr) and Avery (Bennett) hit some jumpshots. Olivia (Snyder) was taking it in hard and going inside out. They had a hard time figuring out which way were going to go.”
Junior point guard Amanda Mobley, who finished with 11 points, helped the Spartans get out in transition and down the Tigers (16-8) for the third time this season.
“I thought we played really good,” Mobley said. “After playing them twice already and beating them, we knew they’d come out and want to get us. We knew we had to play to our best potential.”
Bennett, another junior, scored a career-high 18 points for the Spartans. Snyder, a sophomore, finished with 10 points.
Northwestern junior Leighanna Lister had 18 points, knocking down eight foul shots.
Cooper and the Spartans know that their unbeaten Colonial League regular season and No. 2 state ranking (in Class 5A) go out the window if they slip up at this time of year.
“When we get to this point we say, ‘OK, welcome to the season,’” Cooper said. “The season begins now. Records mean nothing. Right now, everybody is 0-0 and one loss means you’re done.”
“Going into the postseason, we’re just saying that it doesn’t matter how many games we’ve won,” Mobley said. “It’s a new season now, so we have to start all over. We have to play our best so we can keep going.”
Notre Dame provided Solehi with its closest Colonial League test of the winter during a 48-38 tilt on Jan. 3.
“Coach (Josh) Kopp does an excellent job,” Cooper said. “The girls are fundamentally sound; they work well as a team on both ends of the court.”
Cooper believes the Spartans are prepared to defend their league crown on Friday.
“We told the girls that the time is now,” he said. “They answered the call. They’re focused and excited about moving forward.”
Kyle Craig may be reached at kcraig@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KyleCraigSports. Find Lehigh Valley high school sports on Facebook.
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