Catasauqua’s Hailey Jenkins sees her team’s matchup with Pine Grove in the PIAA District 11 Class 3A playoffs at Executive Education Friday night with a 6 p.m. tipoff as a guessing game for both teams.

Third-seed Catasauqua and sixth-seeded Pine Grove didn’t meet in the regular season.

“Honestly, I can’t say if it is easier or harder,” noted Jenkins about playing Pine Grove. “We don’t know anything about this team. However, this also works in our favor because they don’t know anything about us.

“We will have film on them to prepare for the game. We have to be prepared for whatever they throw at us, but I believe we will be ready.”

The Rough Riders will enter the tournament with an overall 15-9 record. They beat Southern Lehigh in the opening round of the Colonial League playoffs before they were eliminated by Notre Dame, 44-38.

Jenkins, a senior and Colonial League MVP, is averaging 17 points per game and sophomore Kaylin Stewart is averaging 12 points.

Pine Grove will bring a 17-5 record into the district playoffs, as they didn’t participate in the Schuylkill League playoffs. They did drop three of their final four final regular-season games.

The Cardinals are led by sophomore Hollyann Sampson, who is averaging 16 points per game, and sophomore Callee Leffler is averaging 8.3 points.

In last year’s district tournament, Catty beat MAS Community Charter, 58-34, in the opening round before they were eliminated by Notre Dame, 38-35, in the quarterfinal round.

Pine Grove, which finished 14-8 during the regular season last year, lost to Mahanoy Area, 49-37, in the opening round of districts last season.

Catasauqua head coach Tara Belfield, who is in her second year, knows her team has to slow Pine Grove’s players in the post, and she is confident the Roughies’ overall team speed can be the difference.

Yet, she is looking for a balanced effort.

“They have two solid post players,” said Belfield about Pine Grove. “But I do believe our guards are quicker and we will be able to pressure them.

“We need to find someone that is going to be able to make some shots besides Hailey and Kaylin.”