After leading 10-8 at the end of the first quarter, Bethlehem Catholic’s girls’ basketball team went into high gear in the second, holding Nazareth to just two points in the Hawks’ 44-26 victory over the Blue Eagles last Friday at Becahi.

“I think it shows the work we put in, especially in practice on defense,” said Becahi center Abby Brown. “We talked about their offense and what we needed to do. The second quarter, we really picked up.”

Becahi guard Taliyah Medina hit a three pointer to start things off, and Brown added four points.

The Blue Eagles were unable to score until 5:24 had gone by on a basket by Talya Brugler.

“My girl was Brugler which, it’s always a competition playing her, but every girl had their assignment,” Brown said.

Medina opened the third quarter with four more points and a 17 point lead by the Hawks would be more than the Blue Eagles would be able to overcome despite two three pointers late in the period.

“The hardest part was coming out with the intensity and not letting the crowd get to us. I mean, this kind of atmosphere, we like, but it can kind of get to some people,” said Brown. “We had to play like it was any other normal game, and we couldn’t let the excitement get to us.”

That excitement was fourfold: playing in front of a huge crowd, hoping for Medina’s 1,000th point of her high school career which was achieved late in the game, hosting Youth Night, and striving to remain undefeated.

“I really think this is our year,” Brown said. “I really wish we could go undefeated all year. It would be great.”