Kratzer, Hosier lead Bombers past NL

The advantage of a team having a go-to player when it absolutely needs a bucket can be the key to victory night in and night out.

So, when a team has two go-to players that it can consistently count on to make big shots, it’s likely that team is going to be tough to beat.

Palmerton has proven that this season, and it proved it once again on Tuesday night against rival Northern Lehigh.

The Blue Bombers got a combined 40 points from standouts Kody Kratzer and Justin Hosier, helping them come away with a 47-36 Colonial League victory over the Bulldogs.

“I can’t come up with enough words to describe what Hosier and Kratzer mean to our team,” said Palmerton head coach Ken Termini, whose team improved to 16-6 overall and 12-5 in the league. “Northern Lehigh never quits, and it could’ve been easy for our guys to look ahead with playoffs right around the corner, but we made key shots and key plays down the stretch and got it done.”

Kratzer and Hosier showed from the onset that they were going to take command. An eight-point opening quarter by Kratzer, and a 10-point second quarter by Hosier, helped spur a Bombers 11-point lead at the half.

Kratzer did his damage getting to the rim, while Hosier heated up from three-point range, hitting two triples in the second. The two combined for 22 of the Bombers’ 24 first-half points.

Also in the first half, Hosier was able to surpass the 1,200-point scoring mark, passing Nate Dougherty and Jerry Snyder on the program’s all-time scoring list. Hosier is now fifth in points in Palmerton boys basketball history.

“It’s awesome to keep climbing up the list, passing two great players,” said Hosier. “But I couldn’t have done it without my teammates and their hard work as well. It’s great to get these personal milestones, but tonight was about finishing the (regular) season strong and gaining momentum heading into leagues and districts.”

Finishing strong was exactly what the Bombers needed to do in this one, because the Bulldogs came on strong in the fourth quarter. After Palmerton carried a 15-point lead into the fourth, Northern Lehigh cut that lead to nine with just under two minutes remaining off a nice step-back three from Zach Moyer.

But right on cue, when a big bucket was needed, Kratzer and Hosier delivered. On the ensuing Bombers’ possession, Kratzer beat his defender left, dribbled hard into the lane and found a cutting Hosier for a deuce to put Palmerton back up double digits. Northern Lehigh (4-18; 3-14) would never get back within striking distance.

“All year long my guys have given me everything they got,” said Bulldogs head coach Jeff Miller. “We had some chances tonight, we just couldn’t get the ball to drop. But I loved my kids’ effort tonight and throughout the season.”

LEADERS ... Hosier finished with 21 and Kratzer added 19 and nine boards. Moyer led the Bulldogs with 11.

UP NEXT ... Palmerton will host either Bangor or Salisbury at home on Saturday in a Colonial League quarterfinal at a time TBD. If Bangor defeats Pen Argyl tonight, the Bombers will face the Slaters. But a Bangor loss means the Bombers will host the Falcons.

NORTHERN LEHIGH

Hammond 1-0-0-2; Richards 1-1-2-4, Olewine 1-0-0-3, Smith 2-2-2-6, Moyer 4-1-2-11, C. Smith 1-0-0-3, Marlatt 3-1-2-7, Repsher 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 13-5-8-36.

PALMERTON

Connell 0-0-0-0, Kratzer 7-5-8-19, Whyte 0-0-0-0, King 1-0-0-2, Roth 0-0-0-0, Frank 0-0-0-0; Mooney 0-0-0-0, Christman 1-0-0-2, Kresge 0-1-2-1, Stuck 1-0-0-2, Hosier 9 0-0-21; Buck 0-0-0-0, Whitney 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 19-6-10-47.

No. Lehigh 7 6 10 13 - 36

Palmerton 11 13 14 9 - 47

Three-pointers: Northern Lehigh - Moyer 2, C. Smith 1, Richards 1, Olewine 1; Palmerton - Hosier 3.