Since the world didn't topple over on December 21, the stage is set for the tip off of the annual Zephyr Holiday Classic which is on tap for tonight.

The affair is scheduled to begin on Dec. 27 when Faith Christian School hosts Saucon Valley High School in the opening game. That contest is followed by the Whitehall boys basketball team facing North Hunterdon (N.J.) at Zephyr Gymnasium.

It's a dance of four teams, with the winners advancing to the late game on Friday. Last year, the Zephs knocked off Faith Christian in the finals, 60-47.

The tournament has proved to be fertile ground for the Zephyrs, winning five consecutive titles, a streak they hope to keep in tact this year. Head coach Jeff Jones said it's been a source of good competition, and this year should be no different as the teams look to stay sharp over the holiday recess.

"Whitehall has had a great deal of success in this tourney over the years," said Jones. "We hope to continue that success and sure up the rotations that we hope to use for the season. We also hope to use these two non-league games as a spring board into a tough league schedule as the new year starts."

It's a good way to keep that players both mentally and physically in tune as the Christmas break can sometimes shift their focus.

Jones also said that finding a suitable rotation has been a work in progress. When they met Nazareth Area High School last week, the team was looking for some answers to that question, especially when the Blue Eagles broke a 10-10 tie after the first quarter, and took a none-point lead into the half. Jones said the middle quarters "seem to be a struggle for us so far this year," and that was clearly evident in their 62-46 loss, having been outscored 31-15 in those middle quarters.

That deficit was followed by a strong final quarter as they scored 21 points, matching their conference foe's output in that last stanza.

He said it's a matter of finding the right mix.

"We are still trying to find the right rotation of players," said Jones.

Jones said it was a game in which they couldn't establish any offensive rhythm.

"The Nazareth game was a disappointing loss for us," said Jones. "We didn't execute our game plan on the offensive end as Nazareth played [a] switching man to man [defense] and took us out of our offense. Their pressure in a half-court set bothered us more than I thought or hoped it would."

He also said their defense didn't get the necessary stops at important times in the game. That was another factor that led to the glut of points in those middle quarters.

The Zephs were paced by Anthony Bellucci who finished with 10 points. Nick Shafnisky poured in nine points against the Blue Eagles, while Chad Rex dropped nine as well. Additionally, Aaron Keglovits scored five points, and Damon Meckes chipped in with five.