The Northwestern Lehigh girls basketball team comes into the 2023-24 basketball season as three-time defending Colonial League champions. Each of those titles came at the expense of Palmerton, who the Tigers beat 31-30 last season for their third-straight league title game win over the Blue Bombers.

The two teams, who also had a pair of tightly contested games in the regular season, could be battling for the top spot again, but the Tigers do have some holes to fill in their lineup.

Paige Sevrain, the program’s all-time leading scorer, graduated and is now playing for Bloomsburg University. Sevrain averaged 12 points per game, and fellow seniors Maci Fisher (5.2 PPG), Nina Miller (2.2 PPG), and Gabby Gober (1 PPG) are also gone. That group helped the team go 25-2 last winter.

Northwestern head coach Chris Deutsch knew those losses were coming, but did not anticipate losing Rylee McGinley and Paige Bissell, who decided not to return for their junior seasons.

Deutsch has a young roster with just two seniors this season. Sadie Fenstermaker got some playing time, playing in 15 games, but Minnich did not gain any varsity experience for the Tigers because of an injury that kept her out for the season.

The junior class includes the team’s second leading scorer, Cara Thomas. As a varsity starter in her first two seasons, Thomas averaged just over 10 points per game and has continued to progress as a ballhandler and as a defensive player.

Thomas comes into the season with 568 points, putting her on track to take a shot at the 1,000-point milestone before her career is over. She also comes in with a bad ankle that she injured playing a pickup basketball game, causing her to miss the final field hockey playoff game.

“We don’t know when she will be back, but she hasn’t practiced yet,” said Deutsch. “There’s a chance she could be cleared to play, but we just don’t know. Whenever she does get back, it will help our team tremendously.”

Junior Brook Balliet gives Deutsch a quality outside shooter, who hit 37 three-point shots last season. Balliet took a big step forward last season as she went from five points per game as a freshman to 8.6 as a sophomore. She is known for her heads-up play and the ability to get to the right place at the right time on both ends of the floor.

“Brook continues to get better and better. She’s very athletic and has the personality to be a leader on the floor,” said Deutsch.

The loss of Sevrain leaves open a spot for someone who can play down low and muscle through defenders. That role is filled this season by another junior, Olivia Reinhart, who will have an increased role on the court this season and like Balliet, is coming off a soccer season that saw the Tigers go to the semifinals of states.

The sophomore class is much improved with Mallory Connor, Emma Freeman, and Hannah Gober all going to see increased playing time thanks to their performances in camp leading up to the season.

“They’re going to play in every game, but not necessarily as a starter,” said Deutsch. “They’ll be in there though because they have really worked hard and are ready for more responsibility.”

Another soccer standout, freshman Sophia Schaffer will also see some time on the floor for Northwestern.

When all is said and done, success may come down to one thing: injuries. Getting Thomas back is a key and Gober also had injury issues last season. Deutsch does not have the depth that he would like to have, so injuries could be the only thing that derails the Tigers this season.