Freedom’s girls’ basketball team was ready for everything Easton threw at them in the East Penn Conference quarterfinal on Monday night when the Patriots defeated the top-seeded Red Rovers 55-51 at Easton Middle School.

“It feels so good,” said Freedom guard Kyra Jefferson. “The last seconds of the game, it was definitely like, we just beat them. They played great basketball. It was fun to compete with them, and I was really excited we got that win, and it feels really good to be a part of it.”

Jefferson single-handedly scored all of the Patriots’ 10 points in the second quarter, and Brenna Ortwein and Carissa Norder hit a three apiece to open the third.

“I think we were a little better prepared,” said Freedom coach Dean Reiman. “Last time, we didn’t practice. We just couldn’t.”

By the time the most recent Freedom versus Easton game rolled around, which was last Thursday, Freedom played five games in six days, three nights in a row.

“Easton is a great team. Their kids play with a lot of confidence, obviously a big winning streak they had going. They’re used to winning, and that’s why I think it makes it even sweeter for us, the fact that they didn’t give in to us. We earned it. It wasn’t like they failed miserably down the stretch. It was just going to be who’s going to make one or two extra plays,” Reiman said.

Easton’s Kyla Smith, Allie Altobelli, and Leanna Deegan combined for six straight points after Norder’s three, but Patriot forward Jennifer Kokolus scored on a pass from Corrin Gill, and the Pates held out for the last shot, which was made by Jefferson, in the final seconds of the third quarter.

“This is great because we kind of beat ourselves in the third quarter last game [against Easton], so we knew, coming into this game, if we kept up the intensity for all the quarters, especially the third, that we’ll be in the game and hopefully get the win. It just feels great to beat them this time when it means the most,” said senior center Hailey Silfies, who hit a three pointer to give the Patriots a 48-47 lead with 1:11 left in the game.

“I saw I was open and needed to get it off quick and just shot, and I even heard Coach Reiman, ‘Shoot it!’ and I just let it fly.”

Kokolus protected the Patriots’ lead, blocking a three-point shot with less than a minute left.

“She was open in the corner and I was kind of at half court, so I saw her shooting and I sprinted there,” said Kokolus, who also had a big rebound on the previous play. “Coaches told me rebounding is my biggest role on the team, so I knew I had to go out and get them. Deegan gets a lot of rebounds, so we had to out rebound them to win the game.”

Jahnel Oliver’s three pointer brought the Red Rovers to within one point with 18.9 seconds left, but Ortwein sealed the Patriots’ win with free throws after coming up with Easton’s inbound ball and getting fouled, and seconds later, grabbing a rebound and getting fouled again.

“I knew I would put them in, it was good, and if not, I knew Hailey or one of our bigs would do their best to get the rebound,” Ortwein said. “We’ve been working on that at practice, denying the inbound, and Coach did a really good job of preparing us for moments like that, so we knew what was coming.”

Also Monday, Bethlehem Catholic’s girls defeated Northampton 62-45 at Becahi.

The Kids came out strong offensively with four three pointers, one by Morgan Sterner, one by Jenna Rogers, and two by Victoria Keenan, in the first.

Two consecutive turnovers that resulted in points for the Hawks by Abby Brown and Jaleesa Lanier, and seven points by Becahi’s Taliyah Medina gave the Hawks a 27-26 lead at halftime.

Becahi forward Hope Brown started the second half with a three pointer, and Morgan Orloski, Medina, and Solei Rodriguez combined for 10 straight points before the end of the third.

Brown had back-to-back buckets in the fourth, and the Hawks continued their run despite a three pointer by NHS’s Jade Rindock.

This Wednesday, Becahi will meet Parkland, and Freedom will take on Allentown Central Catholic in semifinal games of the EPC playoffs.