Since falling to Southern Lehigh back on Dec. 21, the Northwestern girls’ basketball team has not lost.

The Lady Tigers continued their winning streak on Saturday afternoon when they defeated Salisbury, 43-22, in a Colonial League game in New Tripoli.

“The more we play together the better we are getting,” Northwestern head coach Chris Deutsch. “Our girls are getting more confidence. We played the next night after that loss and it was the perfect medicine for us. We never thought about it. Also, our defensive effort has gone to a new level. They are really buying in.”

The defense of Northwestern (8-3 overall, 6-1 Colonial League) was near its best Saturday as it stifled Salisbury’s top scorers Caylin Meikrantz and Sarah McGee, who combined for just six points in the contest. All told, the Falcons shot 5-for-39 from the floor.

Olivia Hoeing led Salisbury with five points.

Northwestern had a size advantage, especially in the paint, with the tallest Falcon measuring 5-7, and according to Deutsch, his team took advantage of that.

“We preach pounding it inside and our assistants work with them,” Deutsch said. “We work on it and our forwards are doing better. There were years here that we were like the Smurfs. We had no size. Now we have some size. It is nice and we like to utilize it.”

Six-foot junior forward Leighanna Lister led that brigade in the paint for the Lady Tigers. She also led the team’s offense with a game-high 13 points. Fellow forward Sage Christopher, a 5-9 sophomore, chipped in with 11 points.

“Every game the [opponents’] sizes are different,” said Lister. “When they are smaller we try to push the ball inside more. It really depends on who we are playing.”

The Lady Tigers never trailed in the contest. The Falcons tied it at three early in the contest, but Northwestern regained the lead and never looked back. Salisbury never scored more than six points in any quarter in the game.

Despite Salisbury’s struggles offensively, Northwestern led by only nine at halftime before extending its lead to 14 points by the end of the third frame.

The Tigers’ shots didn’t fall as much either Saturday afternoon, but the players persevered later in the second half. Deutsch said it will take the same patience and determination, as well as a quick start, to upend Southern Lehigh, which is coming up again on the schedule.

“It’s about the mental game with us,” Deutsch said. “Both of us have gotten better since that last game. They are not 40 points better than us. We have to come out to a better start, hit some shots, play some good defense, and make them work. The longer we stay in the game, anything is possible, but we have to get out to a better start. We need to be in right mental place.”