A slow start doomed the Whitehall girls basketball team in their season opener last Friday, but their ability to rebound from those early struggles shows promise as they begin league action this week.

The girls traveled to Northwestern Lehigh High School to play the Tigers to tip-off the 2018-19 season. The Tigers jumped out to a 16-4 lead and head coach Josh Madas said that a little opening night jitters may have contributed to that early deficit. He said that they committed a lot of unforced turnovers in that first quarter.

“We weren’t moving the ball and forcing the shots,” said Madas. “The effort was there, we just weren’t clicking.”

But once that first quarter was in the books, the Zephyrs won or tied every subsequent quarter. Madas said that they started to assert themselves defensively, and also began to execute their transition game.

“As the game progressed, our defense got a lot stronger, we pushed the ball a little more, and we settled into a good rhythm,” said Madas.

Still, they were unable to climb out of that early hole, losing the game 52-41.

While that first quarter lifted the Tigers to victory, it was how the Zephs clawed back into game, mounting a comeback that saw them trim the lead to four in the fourth quarter, that will resonate with coach Madas.

He said that they controlled the tempo throughout the game, turning it into a more fast-paced affair. The outscored the Tigers by three in the second and third quarters, but they ultimately weren’t able to convert enough of their looks. That sealed their fate in the final few minutes as the Tigers sank their free throws, while the Zephs missed their opportunities.

Tiger guard Sydney Sevrain iced the game, going 9-10 at the charity stripe en route to a game-high 17 points.

Whitehall had the hot shooting of Ella Laky to lean on in that final quarter as she dropped in a big three-pointer, finishing the game with eight points. But Sevrain made sure that the Tigers would defend their home court, dousing the Zephyrs hopes at the free throw line.

The Zephs had a balanced offense with seven players hitting the stat sheet. Madas said that no one player is going to dominate the score sheet, and that the scoring will be spread among all the players on the court.

“That’s what we’re all about,” said Madas. “We’re looking for the best possible shot.”

Olivia George led the way with 13 points. Brianna Smith finished with eight, while Grace Clary netted six. Taryn Sayre finished the game with three points, while Cassie Due and Kristin Laky each added two.