After a game against Kennett High School earlier this season, Whitehall girls basketball head coach Dwight Repsher was stopped by a parent from the opposing team as he headed for the team bus.

That parent just wanted to let the second-year coach know that he appreciated how his team played the game.

"He said he was impressed with how we passed the ball and how we ran our offense," said Repsher who guided the Zephs to an 11-12 record this season.

That togetherness helped launch the Zephs into the District XI playoffs this season where they lost their opening round game to eventual champs Nazareth. They almost qualified for the Eastern Conference Girls Basketball Championships as well, but fell to Parkland in the final game of the season which prevented them from vying for an EPC title.

Still, the Zephs cohesiveness kept them competitive all season. That allowed them to reel off eight wins in nine games, setting up their postseason appearance.

"We were pretty good during that whole stretch," said Repsher.

That stretch included wins against Liberty, Allen, Emmaus and Parkland.

To get to that point, Repsher said the team functioned well as a unit, finding ways to win games and adapting to different situations.

"I thought we did a nice job of playing together," he said.

He also said they learned what their responsibilities were on the court and embraced what was being taught in practice.

"They did a nice job of accepting their roles and doing their jobs," said Repsher.

Repsher admitted he didn't know what to expect after his starting center transferred and another player was lost to injury.

But his team responded by overcoming those obstacles. He also said that that they were more comfortable in what the expectations were between player and coach and responded accordingly.

"We were getting to the point where how we approach things and what to expect, and in that respect, the expectation gap is decreasing," said Repsher. "[Before] the motivation had to come from me. That was much better this year."

He said that understanding helps programs mature.

Repsher also believed that the Parkland win that gave them their eighth win in that nine-game stretch was both a blessing and a curse. The win over their division rival clinched a playoff berth, a remarkable turnaround in just one year.

"It's as big a high as that group ever had," he said.

However, they had to contend with a natural letdown after that euphoria, and had a hard time regaining that momentum, losing five consecutive games to close out the season.

The Zephs will lose three seniors from this year's squad. Forward Karly Klein (4.5 ppg), guard LeAnna Cruz (6.5 ppg) and Kelsey Munn will depart, leaving the program after a year in which their leadership and experience helped guide the Zephs to a return postseason appearance, having last been there in 2011-12.

Klein said that their overall improvement as a team opened the door to this year's playoff appearance. While qualifying for the EPC tourney would have made this year even sweeter, she was glad they got to make the postseason.

"It was a really big thing for us because we hadn't done it in so long," said Klein.

She said that once you've qualified anything is possible and that it was exciting to know they had the chance to make a run for the title.

Klein also said that their familiarity with what coach Repsher expected also helped lay the groundwork for a successful year, starting with the off-season.

"The whole summer was a lot more fluid than it was last year when it was us learning about him and him learning about us," said Klein.

While they lose some valuable vets, they return a strong nucleus anchored by guard Taylor George who led the team in scoring with 9.8 points per game, including 41 treys. Jill Rex (4.8 ppg) also returns to the backcourt for the Zephs, giving Whitehall a strong tandem. Additionally, the Zephs return forward Ivanna Jones (5.7 ppg) and center Jillian Rex (3.2 ppg), giving the Zephs scoring and experience in the paint. They also had strong contributions from Alix Buskirk and Caylin Munn, with both players' roles expanding next season.

Repsher knows there will still be challenges. His team will still be one of the smaller teams again next season.

"I think our problems are going to be our problems," he said. "In terms of size, we're undersized at every position. That will continue to dictate how we play."

Repsher said he made suggestions to every player as he met with them individually once the season concluded, and those meetings give him encouragement for next year.