No matter the deficit, the Whitehall Zephyrs let it be known that they will fight back despite their 42-33 loss to Emmaus on Tuesday night at Whitehall.

“Whitehall did a really nice job fighting back, and we got a little undisciplined, but we were able to regroup, and then we put the ball in our senior’s hand as a point guard (Paige Inman), and we were able to finish off that game,” said Emmaus coach Kelsey Gallagher.

The Zephyrs trailed by 13 points in the third quarter and brought the score to within six points in the fourth quarter, but turnovers and missed foul shots hurt Whitehall in the end.

“Emmaus sped us up, and we were stressing to them to stop dribbling, pass the ball, make them move, and we just continued to go as fast as we could, and you can’t do that,” said Whitehall coach Will Robertson. “We’re a really young team and it’s early in the season. We have to learn from this and make those corrections.”

Although young, sophomores Keona Spooner and Jade Alvarez are providing nice contributions for the Zephyrs, while MJ Dunbar, Bella Fonzone, and Ciara Rogers are experienced returners, but Whitehall will continue to perfect the balance on the court.

The Hornets went on a 9-0 run late in the third quarter thanks to Mya Cooper’s seven straight points which also hurt the Zephyrs.

“She came in and was a huge spark in the second half, getting steals, getting deflections, and then she knocked down some big shots, whether it was a layup or a three, and she doesn’t take threes too often, so that was huge for our momentum and our bench,” said Coach Gallagher.

The Zephyrs went on their own run late in the fourth quarter with points scored by Alvarez, Fonzone, and Dunbar. Rogers scored on a layup off a steal, and with 35 seconds left, Emmaus led, 39-33.

“It was disappointing,” said Coach Robertson, “but it was one game in the season, and I think they’re gonna bounce back.”