Whitehall once again won the Zephyr Holiday Classic, making it two consecutive years in which they've claimed the annual basketball championship.

In the past two years, Whitehall faced North Hunterdon in the finals, but this year's foe was Saucon Valley. The Zephs relied on strong second and third quarters to edge the Panthers, 62-58 to capture the Classic held Dec. 29-30 at Zephyr Gymnasium.

Head coach Jeff Jones said that Saucon Valley had come into the tourney having beaten a tough Pennridge High School team to start the season. In fact, the Panthers were 6-2 heading into the Classic and were regarded as one of the top teams in the Colonial League.

"Saucon is a very good team," said Jones. "Right now I'd say they were the favorite to win the Colonial League. They're a legitimate team, absolutely. To be able to win that game, win that tournament, was really nice."

With the Panthers in an ornery mood, the Zephs had to play without forwards Saquon Barkley and Jacob Buskirk, two players chosen to participate in the 2015 Offense-Defense "All-American Bowl" for high school seniors which was held at the famed Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida on Jan. 2.

Their absence would impact their strength inside, but they were able to compensate thanks to a strong performance from guard Jake Meyers who was en fuego from the outside, hitting five treys to help the Zephs defeat the Panthers. The senior guard finished with 19 points.

"That's kind of when Jake took off," said Jones after their win against Bethlehem Catholic. "He had some really good games and was MVP of the tournament. He's been playing well for us."

Brett Radocha also had a strong performance during the Classic, finishing with 24 points in two games. His 11 points in the finals helped them win back-to-back titles and also earned him a spot on the all-tournament team.

Chad Rex also had a solid tourney, finishing with a combined 14 points. Additionally, Nick Hassler dropped in nine points against the Panthers, while Gianni Sinatore added seven and Mikey Esquilin netted six in the victory.

In the opener, Whitehall squeaked by Faith-Christian Academy, 38-37. That game saw Whitehall recover from a slow start, netting 29 points in the final two quarters to advance to the finals.

In that win, Meyers finished with 12 points, setting in motion his MVP bid.