It’s been quite some time since Parkland boys basketball lost to a conference foe in the regular season on its home court. Trojan head coach Andy Stephens couldn’t recall the last time his Trojans walked off the court in that scenario against an Eastern Pennsylvania Conference or Lehigh Valley League opponent.

That all changed on Tuesday night when Parkland stepped on its home court for the first time this season after starting with four straight road games.

Rival Emmaus (4-0) handed Parkland (2-3) its second conference loss of the season and first at home. The Hornets took a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter and held on for the 56-51 victory after the Trojans managed a valiant comeback effort.

“The one thing I was most pleased with is the grit and the determination to win,” Stephens said. “I wasn’t sure if we had some of what I saw throughout the course of the game, you know the fight. These guys are very coachable and willing to figure it out. They want to win. They want to be good.”

It was Emmaus that jumped out to the fast start, leading 15-8 after the first quarter and pushing that advantage to 19-9 early in the second quarter. But the Trojans scored the next 11 points to take their first lead with 3:10 to play in the half.

But that would be Parkland’s only lead of the game. The Hornets went on a 10-5 run to close the frame, which included back-to-back 3-pointers from David Kachelries in the final minute of intermission. The last was a shot from behind the arc to send Emmaus into the break with a 29-25 lead.

“I’m one of the worst when it comes to losing,” Stephens said. “No one likes it. But I do feel pretty optimistic after that game. We missed a ton of foul shots. I thought we played really good for three-and-a-half quarters, and then as soon as we were down eight or 10, we kind of regressed and went back to not doing what we are capable of doing.”

Emmaus pushed its lead back to double digits in the third quarter before Parkland cut it down to six going into the fourth. The Hornets once again went on a spurt in the fourth and went ahead 48-34, their largest lead of the game. Matt Kachelries (19 points) hit six free throws early in the frame and 13-of-14 overall.

Sam Iorio, who’s status prior to the game was unclear due to an illness, scored seven in the fourth quarter to keep Parkland within striking distance. A 3-pointer from Jake Bartholomew cut Emmaus’ lead to 52-47 with under a minute to play, but the difference was the Hornets’ ability to hit free throws down the stretch.

“I don’t mind losses here and there, I really don’t,” Stephens said. “But as long as it’s an uphill climb and we get better. What scares a lot of coaches at this time of year is if you lose a couple of games, what is the mindset of the team. And I think the mindset of the team for our guys is pretty much on point.

“I know we didn’t play our best. But the fact that we competed and never let up and gave up, I think I’m probably most impressed with that.”

Parkland will have a chance to rebound back at home with another key EPC matchup coming on Thursday. Tipoff against Whitehall is set for 7 p.m.