After scoring just 79 total points in their first three games this season, the Northampton girls basketball team exploded for 40 points in the first half against East Stroudsburg North on Tuesday night on their way to a convincing 61-19 win.

Expectations for this year’s squad are modest and a game like this one was an opportunity to stuff the stat sheet, get the subs some playing time, and just have a little fun out on the court.

Senior Isabella Pecuch led the K-Kids with a career-high 20 points on 10 of 15 shooting from the floor, with 18 of those points coming in the first half.

Northampton got out to a 14-4 first quarter lead sparked by sophomore Laila Reichl, who scored 8 of her 14 points in the opening stanza.

The Kids’ defense was relentless, forcing the Timberwolves into 9 turnovers in the period, several of which turned into Reichl layups on the other end. She totaled 7 steals for the game.

The second period is where the game turned from a blowout into a drubbing. Both teams scored a pair of baskets in the first two minutes of the quarter, but then the K-Kids ran off the next 22 points to extend their lead to 30 points and put the game into the Mercy Rule with a 40-10 halftime lead.

“I think we did a good job passing. The interior passing was decent. It’s nice to throw one of these games in and them a little confidence,” explained head coach Jeff Jacksits. “Hopefully we just keep getting better. It will be back to reality on Friday.”

Freshman Lily Vitushinsky took advantage of some extended playing time and reached double-digits, tallying 11 points. Evangelina Gougoustamos and Ro Echevarria both notched 4 points. Seniors Kelly Reenock and Abbie Luiperspeck both scored 3 and freshman Autumn Werkheiser scored her first varsity basket.

They K-Kids are 2-2 on the season. They have three home games over the next week. On Friday, they welcome Liberty and 2024 EPC Co-MVP Ava Kopetskie. On Saturday, they take on East Stroudsburg South before stepping up in class to challenge Parkland on Tuesday.