After a tough last-second loss to William Allen last Friday, the Zephyrs boys basketball team rebounded with two big league wins, keeping their playoff aspirations in tact as they approach the heart of their Skyline Division games in the upcoming weeks.

The Zephs promptly defeated Pocono Mountain East High School the following night, then dismantled Liberty who was previously unbeaten in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference.

In both cases the Zephyrs defense proved to be the deciding factor in the game, keeping both teams under their season averages, with Whitehall simply smothering the Hurricanes on Tuesday night, holding them almost 23 points under their average en route to a 45-37 win.

In the Allen game that preceded the two wins, the Zephs found themselves trailing by a point with just a few ticks on the clock. Head coach Jeff Jones said that the strategy was to put the Canaries on the line, forcing them to win the game at the charity stripe, and when they only converted one of two foul shots, the door was open for the Zephs to get a victory at J. Milo Seward's Gymnasium.

Chad Rex did an excellent job advancing the ball, getting the team an opportunity for a good look. However, Jake Meyers's shot didn't fall and the Canaries survived, winning 58-57 in a tight Eastern Pennsylvania Conference battle.

Jones said they played well, and the fact they had the chance to win the game at the end indicated how they played against the second-place team in the Steel Division of the EPC.

After the game, Jones made sure that Meyers' understood that he'll still be their primary option at the end of the game.

"I told him, 'You're the one we want taking the shot,'" said Jones. "It just didn't go in this time."

Meyers finished the game with 12 points, connecting on two three-pointers in the contest.

Allen, which came into the game at 9-3, were led by Isiah Gray who had 14 points.

Jones said that the Canaries also have a strong perimeter player in Bryson Walton who was averaging a little over 16 points per game. The Zephs were able to hold him under that mark, limiting him to 11 points. He said their total defensive effort was solid against a team that was averaging close to 65 points per game this season.

"Overall, we did a pretty good job," said Jones.

Both teams got contributions up and down their line-up, with eight Canaries hitting the stat sheet, while seven Zephs got into the scoring column. Brett Radocha scored a season-high 25 points, hitting shots from both inside and out and knocking down three treys, showcasing his versatility.

"That was a very good effort on Brett's part," said Jones.

Jones said that one of their objectives is to get the ball inside to Radocha every game. With Radocha's ability to score in the post, it draws the defense toward him, freeing up the perimeter.

"It opens up things on the outside," said Jones. "It's something we try to do every game."

Radocha can also step out and hit the three, forcing defenders out there with him, allowing Saquon Barkley to operate inside. Barkley finished with three points, while Mikey Esquilin dropped in 11.

In Saturday's game against the Cardinals, the reserves shined, helping the Zephs topple PME 65-47.

"It was a tale of our bench," said Jones. "Our bench really came in and did extremely well."

The game was at 10 after the first period, but when the Cardinals went up by six to start the second quarter, Jones called a timeout. That's when the bench brought them back to life, quickly making up the deficit and never looking back.

That second group was led by Jacob Buskirk who powered his way to a team-high 17 points. He was aided by the capable shooting touch of Esquilin who finished with 14 points, while Logan McGinley dropped in 13.

That triumvirate accounted for 44 of their 65 points, roughly 67 percent.

"When you're getting that kind of production with the guys coming off the bench, then that's pretty good," said Jones.

Everyone's fighting for minutes, and Jones said that working hard in practice pays off when opportunity knocks.

Heading into the game against Liberty, Jones said the keys were going to be keeping Ludwin Gonzalez under wraps.

They couldn't let him run wild along the perimeter draining threes. The second key was making a statement inside, controlling the boards and limiting second-chance opportunities against a big and athletic Hurricane front line.

The Zephs succeeded on both fronts, using the combination of Gianni Sinatore and Nick Hassler to keep Gonzalez in check, keeping him scoreless from the field.

They also did a good job ripping down rebounds, with Buskirk, Barkley and Radocha making their presence felt.

The Zephs relied on balanced scoring to up their record to 9-5.

Radocha led the way with nine, while Esquilin dropped in eight, and Buskirk chipped in with seven.