Bethlehem Catholic’s girls basketball team won its eighth straight district championship with a 53-24 victory over Whitehall in the District XI Class 5A final on March 2 at Easton Area Middle School.

The Golden Hawks rattled off 13 straight points by Mekhyla Britt, Cici Hernandez, Akasha Santos, Ella Bincarosky, and Kendall Nickischer before Whitehall guard MJ Dunbar sank a free throw.

Whitehall center Charlotte Bynoe opened the second quarter with two points for the Zephyrs and had a bucket on a putback.

The Hawks continued to share the ball and climbed to a 33-8 lead by halftime.

Becahi’s Nickischer had a game-high 17 points, much to the delight of the sophomore guard’s coaches and teammates whose cheers grew with each bucket.

“I had a tough season. I sprained my ankle in the very beginning, and I was out for awhile. I had to fight back through this adversity, and everybody came together and helped hype me up. This was a really good game for everybody,” Nickischer said. “If I’m on, I’m on. If somebody else is on, they’re on, so we all support each other. It feels really good. I love playing with this team, so it’s really great.”

Daviana Jones, Leah Ault, and Brooklyn Lewis also had points for the Hawks.

Becahi will compete in the PIAA Class 5A State Tournament scheduled to begin on March 9 when the Hawks will host District One’s Gwynedd Mercy Academy at 3 p.m.

Whitehall will also compete in state playoffs with a first-round contest against West Chester Rustin at 3 p.m. on March 9 at Whitehall.