Needing a final win against Parkland to qualify for the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference playoffs, the Whitehall girls basketball team hoped they'd be able to join the boys in the postseason tourney.

The Zephyrs road to the conference championships went through the Trojans, a team they beat 28-24 earlier in the season. The game was close throughout, but their Skyline division rivals were able to dash their dreams of making the EPC playoffs, winning 35-26 to close out the regular season.

The two teams went back and forth in the first half, with the Trojans taking a four-point lead into intermission. It was very similar to their first encounter when the Trojans led by two at the break.

"It was a really good game in the first half," said head coach Dwight Repsher who guided the Zephyrs to an 11-11 record this season. "But in the end, we didn't make enough shots."

The Zephs failed to hit double figures in any period. They were in striking distance for most of the game, but the Trojans managed to win every quarter, resulting in the nine-point loss.

Repsher said they were undermanned when forward Ivanna Jones got injured in the first half, leaving them down a player the rest of the way. Jones has been a viable offensive option all year, averaging nearly 6 points a game. That puts her third in team scoring behind guards Taylor George and LeAnna Cruz. She's also adept at blocking shots, something she does frequently despite playing against bigger players in the paint.

Her absence also meant they couldn't risk getting into foul trouble since they didn't have a back-up at the five spot after another player got hurt in the junior varsity game.

Still, Repsher was proud of the effort, something they brought to the floor every game.

"We played hard against a good team," said Repsher. "But it's a little disheartening losing five in a row."

Leading the way for the Zephs was George who finished with 10 points. Karly Klein chipped in with six, while Jillian Kreglow added four.

The Zephs have been streaky this season, bunching together wins and losses. The five-game losing streak to close out the season was preceded by a five-game winning streak. The double overtime loss to Northampton Area High School on Jan. 30 will probably stand out as their missed opportunity to make the EPC playoffs.

Repsher believes that if they played their division foes (minus Allentown Central Catholic) and played them six times, they're most likely going to win as many as they lose, underscoring how evenly matched the teams are underneath the formidable Vikettes.

"We're probably going to split with them; that's probably a fair assessment," said Repsher.

While the loss is disappointing for the Zephyrs, they still managed to earn a District 11 playoff berth, something that seemed improbable with such a young team after finishing seven games below .500 last year.

But they meshed as a team, getting scoring up and down their line-up. They also had to battle bigger teams on a nightly basis, but were able to counter that height disadvantage with savvy players like Klein, Kreglow, Jones and Caylin Munn.

Their backcourt was another strong suit with Cruz, George and Jill Rex capable of filling it up from the perimeter. That trio was also skilled at creating havoc on the defensive end, causing turnovers that led to a number of fast break opportunities.

Repsher said they planned to give the team a couple of days off and then come full tilt once practice resumes this week.

"We'll get ready for districts," he said.