It wasn't the way senior boys basketball player Justin Jones and senior girls basketball player Aubrey Beidelman wanted their careers to end. Early exits in the PIAA tournament a little over two weeks ago left a sour taste in their mouths, but that wasn't the last time Jones or Beidelman would put on their Parkland jerseys.

Last Saturday at Northampton Area Community College, they laced up their sneakers next to some of the top athletes in the Colonial League and East Penn Conference at the Via All-Star Classic.

"It was great coming together with guys you don't really know well and have never played with before," Jones said. "I was able to become friends with them and they're all good people. I had a lot of fun."

The boys game was a typical all-star game with a lot of points being scored, and not a lot of defense being played. But it was the last game that the group of high school seniors would put on their respective school colors, so it was about having fun padding stats.

"You come in not knowing much about your teammates, but after a couple of minutes on the court you figure out what they like to do," said Jones.

The score was tied at 41-41 at halftime (two 20 minute half format), and the West squad kept pace with the East thanks to a 3-pointer from Jones, who went 2-for-8 on the day from beyond the arc, which is an off-day for the sharp shooter.

Freedom's Desmond Farley put in a strong second half performance and gave the East a lead late. Brett Radocha from Whitehall had a chance to tie the game at the buzzer, but his shot clanged off the rim and the West squad fell 87-84.

The girls game wasn't as tightly contested as the East team took down the West team 83-70. Beidelman tallied two points for the West, which was led by 16 from Northampton's Giovanna Martinez.