The Whitehall boys basketball team kept hanging around, pecking at Emmaus’ lead throughout the second half as they looked to make a comeback during Saturday afternoon’s game.

Twice the Zephyrs got the deficit to six points or less in the second half, the final time was at the 4:51 mark of the fourth quarter when Tommy Buskirk scooped up a loose ball at midcourt and tossed it over his head. On the receiving end of that no-look pass was Bryce Bashore who made a nifty move holding off the defender at the basket as he made the contested layup.

That made the score 36-30 and the Zephyrs looked poised to make that comeback. They eventually cut it to 36-32 after a nice drive by Torrey Tyson, but the Hornets were able to fend off another charge as they padded their lead with two consecutive buckets, eventually winning 47-39 on their home court.

The loss drops the Zephyrs to 0-6 on the season.

Head coach Jeff Jones admits that it’s been difficult getting over that hump so far this season. They’re still trying to find enough offense to cut into deficits and eventually win games.

“We hung around,” said Jones. “We have difficulty scoring sometimes, and that six points feels like twelve.”

Jones said that it’s also been a challenge defensively when they surrender an offensive rebound and put-back points, putting the onus on the offense to make up that additional deficit. And Emmaus presented problems with its size inside, hauling in rebounds and getting points in the paint.

Still, he knows better days are ahead. They’ve playing hard and that will ultimately bring success.

“They’re hanging in there,” said Jones. “They’re competing, that’s for sure.”

Earlier in the second half, they trimmed the Green Hornets lead to four when Bashore stole the ball and streaked down the floor, scoring the bucket and getting fouled. His bucket made the score 27-23 and the Zephs were building momentum.

Up to that point, Whitehall had done a good job disrupting the Hornets’ offense to open the third quarter, stealing passes and forcing empty possessions. The Zephyrs had scored six straight points, and Emmaus was yet to get on the scoreboard with 2:55 left in the third.

Jones said that they switched to a man-to-man defense to start the second half, allowing them to play more transition basketball. Their active hands forced turnovers, and they clawed back into the game.

But the Hornets responded with a run that swelled the lead to 11 points, hitting on their next few possessions to take a 34-23 lead to begin the fourth quarter.

Whitehall would have to chip away once again, and that’s what they did. The had some shots rattle out, but battled to stay within striking distance. They hung around with contributions from Matthew Snyder, Alexander Derkits, Zackary Hartman, Buskirk and Bashore.

Buskirk and Bashore led the way with nine points each, while Tyson and Raymond Jackson each dropped in five points. Additionally, Hartman, Snyder and Derkits each netted three points for the Zephyrs.

Prior to Saturday’s game, Whitehall faced Dieruff on Jan. 27. They lost to Dieruff 61-44, a game in which Jones said that they had and gave it away to the Huskies.

They’re set for a rematch this Tuesday against the Green Hornets, but Jones said that game could be in jeopardy after a spike in COVID-19 cases at Emmaus.