A popular print ad from the 1970s used the slogan: You’ve come a long way, baby.

That same sentiment could apply to the Whitehall girls basketball team this year. After struggling to gain any traction in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, and before that the Lehigh Valley Conference, the last few years, the girls enjoyed a breakout season that was fueled by its strong senior corps.

Those seniors witnessed the lean years, winning just four games in 2012-13. The following season they were 7-14. This year they finished the season 15-10 and were in both the league and district playoffs.

That turnaround was led by Taylor George, Ivanna Jones, Jill Kreglow and Jill Rex who combined for 718 points this season. Those four also had a combined 13 years experience as starting varsity players. George was a four-year starter, while Jones, Kreglow and Rex each logged three.

Their impact was deeply felt, and so will their departure. Head coach Dwight Repsher will not only be tasked with replacing all those points, but also the 65 and 55 steals generated by George and Jones, respectively.

Jones and Kreglow were also the leading rebounders, separated by just one rebound all year, said Repsher. In addition to their work on the glass, the team will also miss their deft interior passing.

The season was marked by a number of big accomplishments. They halted Bethlehem Catholic’s consecutive conference win streak; defeated defending district champs Nazareth and Steel Division powerhouse, Liberty, and downed rival Parkland in a late-season match-up, handing the Trojans their first EPC loss of the season.

They also protected their home court with a vengeance, losing just one game in Zephyr Gymnasium all year.

They also won a District 11 game, declawing the Pleasant Valley Bears in the opener. That win catapulted them into the quarterfinals where they were in the game until the very end against the eventual 4A champs, Nazareth.

Yes, you’ve come a long way baby, indeed.

“It was really a memorable season,” said Repsher. “Given the number of nice wins we had, I think it was really memorable.”

In fact, it was their second best record in the last 16 years, adding to that list of memorable moments.

Repsher said that every season is defined in different ways, and one doesn’t know what that will be until the season unfolds. This one was defined by some really great wins, he said. And getting those wins inside a talented division that produced the eventual district champs, underscored those accomplishments.

“With the difficulty of our schedule, I thought it was a great year,” said Repsher.

Those accomplishments are now in the past. They’ll now be looking to the future, one in which they can build off their success. Repsher said that they’ll have a good nucleus back, and that he’ll be looking for players to step up and fill the void by the graduating seniors.

Returning will be Taylor Rummel (126 points), Alix Buskirk, (113 points), Kylee Cunningham (79 points) and Ariana Hines (52 points). They’ll provide the foundation on which to build. They’ll also have Olivia George and Mackenzie Dietz added to that returning mix.

He also expects some junior varsity players to contribute, adding to their depth.

The cupboard isn’t bare by any means, and he fully expects someone from that group to emerge as a leader. Buskirk will be entering her third year as a varsity player, while Cunningham, Hines and Rummel made significant contributions this season.

Repsher also doesn’t expect big changes to their style of play when they resume in the fall.

“We’ll change some things, tweak some things, but nothing too drastic,” he said.

They’ll have approximately 25 games under the belts leading up to next season after the completion of their summer leagues, and Repsher is confident these returning players will be poised to tell their own memorable story next year.