On Thursday night, Palmerton and Notre Dame Green Pond put on an incredible display of boys basketball. The Colonial League teams met at Palmerton Area High School for a competitive matchup. Going into the game, both teams were undefeated in the league, but each was first in the division of the league. After speaking with Coach Ken Termini of Palmerton and Coach Pat Boyle of Notre Dame Green Pond, both expected the game to be exciting and intense. Anyone in attendance would agree that the game was nothing less than what the coaches expected. After a close battle that went into double overtime, Notre Dame Green Pond came out on top with a final score of 85-79.
From the second the game began the pace was set. Both teams came out very quickly and were eager to score. Both teams took to the basket, but Palmerton kept falling unlucky. Notre Dame’s easy points at the beginning of the game showed Palmerton they would need to capitalize on all of their opportunities. Notre Dame also quickly stood out with their offensive rebounds which allowed them to get second-chance shots off. All twenty-two of the Crusaders’ points in the first quarter were scored by just three players: Colin Boyle (7), Jordan Smith (6), and Dainn Vassallo (9). The first quarter ended with Notre Dame in the lead 22-15.
Palmerton began to find their rhythm in the second quarter, specifically Brayden Hosier. He began to initiate plays and be successful when shooting. They started to close the gap on the scoreboard. Notre Dame was not deterred by Palmerton’s style of playing. Cameron Bohn of Notre Dame put his first of many threes on the board. Although Notre Dame was outscored by the Bombers in the second quarter, they managed to keep their lead. Going into the half, the score was Notre Dame 34- Palmerton 32.
The fans of Palmerton Basketball continuously supported their team, and they got even more excited during the second half.
This was rightfully so as Palmerton made it seem like they would walk away with a win coming into the half. Both teams began to get energized as the game became more neck and neck. Palmerton’s Matt Machalik was quick to get up and down the court, and he was always willing to throw himself in a play where he felt it was necessary. Notre Dame made a point to try to prevent any Palmerton player from being alone in the paint, which was a critical component of the game. Bohn put up three threes, all at crucial times in the quarter and all around elevated his play. Notre Dame held its lead 53-48 going into the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter began with a quick three from Hoiser. This set the tone for the rest of the quarter. It was close and competitive the entire time. Trace Stahler of Palmerton made a three to tie up the game 65-65. These were his first points of the game. Then the pressure was on Cameron Bohn when he was sent to the foul line with just seconds left in the game. He was unable to make these shots, but luckily for him, he had a chance for redemption in overtime.
Without any surprise, the first round of overtime remained very close. Bohn was sent to the foul line again and sinked both of his shots. He also added his sixth three-pointer. Palmerton kept the fight up and put up seven of their own points. The 72-72 tie sent the game into a second overtime. Notre Dame was able to pull away and separate themselves from Palmerton. They played good defense and were effective on offense. After a long, well-fought game, Notre Dame Green Pond had secured their win over the Palmerton Bombers 85-79.
Palmerton’s record now stands at 9-5 with one Colonial League loss. Notre Dame remained undefeated in the league and improved their record to 13-2. The D11 Player of the Game went to Cameron Bohn. He had a total of twenty-four points, including six three-pointers. He also played consistently good defense and stood out for his team. The leading scorer of the game was Brayden Hoiser of Palmerton with 30 points. Notre Dame will play Moravian Academy on January 20th away at 12:45 pm. Palmerton will see Catasauqua at home on January 20th at 1:00 pm.
