The 2016-2017 Catasauqua Girls Basketball team were already playing their third game in four days, this time against Notre Dame Green Pond on Monday night inside Catasauqua high school. Catty fell to their Colonial League rival 64-19.

The Crusaders jumped out to an early 18-0 lead against the Rough Riders in the first period and never looked back.

Kenzie Bradley scored Catasauqua’s first point of the game with 6:33 left in the second period and would finish the game with three points while Amaiya Johnson led Catasauqua in points with 11.

Defense played a heavy factor in the early lead for Notre Dame Green Pond as double coverage paid dividends in turnovers for the team.

Catasauqua ended up making five field goals while going 9-for-14 from the free throw line. Notre Dame Green Pond scored 23 field goals including five three-pointers while going 13-for-24 from the free throw line. Eleven girls would end up scoring for the Crusaders, with Cassie Murphy leading the team in points with 10.

Last year, Catasauqua finished with a record of 9-13 overall, 7-10 from league play. This year, the Rough Riders hope to improve on last year’s past performance.

“Our staff hopes to surprise some people and make a strong run at a league playoff spot,” said coach Ed Seidick. “These girls have come a long way and seem to sense the opportunity they have in front of them. We gotta get the ball forward and be aggressive.”

Catasauqua’s next home game will be on Friday, Dec.16 against Southern Lehigh at 7 p.m.

The Rough Riders beat the Cavaliers 49-44 in the opening game of Tamaqua High School’s Tip Off Tournament on Friday.

Giah Moore scored a game-high 17 points for Catasauqua, while teammate Kenzie Bradley had 16 points to account for a large chunk of the Roughies’ scoring.

Imani Albert had 14 points for East Stroudsburg South, which went 4-for-23 from the foul line and 1-for-6 from the stripe in the fourth quarter.

The Roughies hit four of their five free throw attempts in the fourth quarter to seal the win.

CATASAUQUA

Johnson 3-0-0-6, Gillespie 3-0-0-6, Bradley 5-4-4-16, Garner 1-0-1-2, Safadi 0-0-0-0, Biviano 0-2-4-2, Brown 0-0-0-0, Moore 7-0-0-17. TOTALS: 19-6-9-49.

EAST STROUDSBURG SOUTH

Akinni 0-1-2-1, Oliver 3-1-4-7, Vasquez 2-0-0-5, Cole 0-0-1-0, Wessellius 0-0-0-0, Anderson 1-0-0-3, Bostic 2-2-4-8, Cocquais 0-0-0-0, Albert 5-4-8-14, Davy 3-0-4-6. TOTALS: 16-8-23-44

Catty 11 13 12 13 - 49

ESS 12 7 9 16 - 44

Three-pointers: C - Moore 3, Bradley 2; ES: Bostic 2, Vasquez 1, Anderson 1.

Host Tamaqua beat the Rough Riders 47-30 in the championship game of the Lady Raiders Tip Off Tournament on Saturday.

Emma Agosti scored a game-high 19 points for Tamaqua (2-0).

Kenzie Bradley had 11 for Catasauqua (1-1).

TAMAQUA

R. Hromyak. 0-0-0-0, Hoffman 2-4-4-8, Zuber 1-0-0-3, A. Hromyak. 0-0-0-0, Sherry 0-0-2-0, Jones 0-3-6-3, Coccio 0-0-0-0, Titus, (Emily) 6-0-0-12, Ceci 0-0-1-2, Frederickson 0-0-0-0, Kuczynski, (Emma) 7-5-7-19, Agosti 1-0-0-2

TOTALS: 17-12-20-47

CATASAUQUA

Johnson 1-3-7-5, Gillespie 1-0-0-2, Bradley, (Kenzie) 5-1-2-11, Garner 0-2-2-2, DeLucia 0-0-0-0, Safadi 0-0-0-0, Biviano 2-0-0-4, Brown 1-0-0-2, Emery 0-0-0-0, Harakel 0-0-0-0, Richards 0-1-2-1, Greenberg 0-0-0-0, George 0-0-0-0, Moore 0-3-5-3

TOTALS: 10-10-18-30

Tamaqua 14 10 16 7 - 47

Catasauqua 6 7 9 8 - 30

Three-pointers: T - Zuber 1.