Freedom is off to an undefeated start to the basketball season, but can the Patriot boys keep that up this week?

The Pates are 4-0 and sit atop the East Penn Conference as one of four undefeated teams so far, following wins over Bethlehem Catholic and Dieruff last week.

With the combined record of their opponents at 5-8, the Pates have had the fortune of not playing any of the league’s top teams yet, but that all changes this week when they squared off against Easton (3-1) on Tuesday, past Press deadlines.

The Rovers came into the year as one of the top teams in the area and this was Freedom’s first major test of the winter.

“We are playing well and yes, this is what we, expected,” said head coach Joe Stellato. “We have two of the top guards in the league, and I saw in late fall in a tournament that the role players have stepped up their games and have accepted the challenge. They are the key to the season. We knew what we would get out of our guard play, we just needed some other scoring from other players and early in the season we have that.”

Easton has won three straight Steel Division games since losing its opener to Wilson West Lawn, including a 75-72 win over a highly touted Allen team and an 84-68 win over Liberty.

Stellato wanted to make Easton feel pressure in Tuesday’s affair.

“The key is ball pressure and making them feel uncomfortable,” Stellato said. “Watching them early in the season, they are very comfortable when teams don’t pressure them, and they move the ball and execute very well. We are going to try and disrupt that.

“We just need to do little things right all the time, not sometimes. We are very athletic and sometimes the mistakes are overlooked. It is my job to identify those mistakes and fix them through practice.”

Outside of Tuesday’s tilt, Freedom closes out the week with Liberty at home Friday night in their final contest until after the Christmas break.

The Hurricanes (3-2) have lost to both Allen and Easton this season and have three games this week before they close shop before the holiday.

Liberty took on Dieruff Tuesday and then travel to Wilson on Wednesday, followed by Friday’s aforementioned road contest against Freedom.

Bethlehem Catholic (2-3) ended a three-game skid with a 55-49 win over Dieruff last week.

The Hawks took on Allen last night and host their own Hawks’ Heroes Challenge this weekend when three Catholic schools (Bishop Ireton, John Carroll, and St. Johns Catholic Prep) from the Maryland and Washington, D.C. area come to town Friday and Saturday.

The Hawks take on St. John’s Prep in Friday’s contest and will play one of the other two teams based on Friday’s results.