The high school basketball season got underway this past weekend and the Lady Tigers split their first two games. They also got some good news on junior Cara Thomas, who returned to the lineup in game two after missing the opener because of an ankle injury.

Whitehall visited Northwestern Lehigh for the season opener and the Tigers downed the Zephyrs 40-37 behind a team-high 12 points from sophomore Emma Freeman.

Freeman was hot from behind the three-point line, nailing three three-pointers. Northwestern hit six three-pointers in the game, with juniors Brook Balliet and Devon Heinly and sophomore Mallory Conner each adding a three-pointer to the scoring column. As a team, Northwestern hit 12 of 16 foul shots in the win with Hannah Gober sinking five of six from the line.

The first road game of the season for Northwestern took the Tigers to Palmerton for the first of two regular season games against the Blue Bombers. The Tigers and Bombers have met in each of the last three Colonial League finals with Northwestern winning all three games. Thomas returned to the Northwestern lineup and scored nine points, all of which came in the fourth quarter, but Palmerton won the game 50-39.

Northwestern trailed 28-11 at halftime before battling back in the second half. Freeman hit two more three-pointers in the second half and finished with nine points. Balliet was the team leader in scoring with 12 points, all of which came in the second half.

The Tigers host Southern Lehigh Thursday night and then play at Salisbury on Monday. Saturday’s game against Lehighton has been postponed, allowing students to travel to Cumberland Valley High School where Northwestern will be playing for the PIAA football championship that day. Northwestern will then play at Northern Lehigh next Thursday.

Thursday will also be the season opener for the Northwestern boys’ team and will be part of a doubleheader with the girls at Northern Lehigh. The schedule has been shuffled because nine players on the team are also on the football team and have not been able to practice or play basketball until after Saturday’s game.