The Eastern Pennsylvania Conference boys and girls basketball tournaments will begin Friday night, but on the girls side there will be a play-in game for the first time.

At 6 p.m. Wednesday at Northampton, Dieruff will play Liberty after both teams finished league play at 9-7. The winner of that game will secure the eighth seed and play at No. 1 Easton on Friday night.

In the boys bracket, Parkland is the top seed, and the Trojans will play No. 8 Allentown Central Catholic in the second game of a girl-boy doubleheader. Parkland’s girls, the No. 4 seed, play No. 5 Nazareth in the opener at 5:30 p.m. rr

The action moves to Allentown’s PPL Center for the boys semis on Monday night, the girls semis on Tuesday, and girl-boy championship doubleheader on Thursday night. Each of those doubleheaders will begin at 6 p.m.

The Northampton boys and Emmaus girls are the defending league champions.

Northampton players celebrate winning the EPC boys basketball championship after beating Pocono Mountain West 55-54 in overtime last year at the PPL Center in Allentown. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)

Here’s a look at the brackets:

EPC Girls Tournament

Play-In Game: 6 p.m. Wednesday at Northampton: Dieruff (14-8, 9-7) vs. Liberty (12-10, 9-7).

Friday’s quarterfinals (all starts at 6 p.m. except where noted): Dieruff/Liberty winner at No. 1 Easton (19-3, 15-1); No. 5 Nazareth (15-7, 11-5) at No. 4 Parkland (16-4, 14-2); No. 6 Allentown CCHS (11-11, 11-5) at No. 3 Emmaus (17-5, 14-2); No. 7 Pocono Mountain West (10-11, 10-6) at No. 2 Bethlehem Catholic (19-2, 15-1).

Tuesday’s semifinals at PPL Center: Emmaus/ACC winner vs. Becahi/PM West winner at 6 p.m.; Parkland/Nazareth winner vs. Easton/Liberty/Dieruff at 8 p.m.

Thursday’s championship at PPL Center: 6 p.m. start

EPC Boys Tournament

Friday’s quarterfinals (all starts at 7 p.m.): No. 8 Allentown CCHS (12-10, 9-7) at No. 1 Parkland (17-5, 15-1); No. 5 Nazareth (17-4, 12-4) at No. 4 Allen (16-6, 12-4); No. 6 Liberty (14-8, 12-4) at No. 3 Pocono Mountain West (19-3, 14-2); No. 7 Whitehall (11-11, 9-7) at No. 2 Northampton (18-4, 14-2).

Monday’s Semifinals at PPL Center: PM West/Liberty winner vs. Northampton/Whitehall winner at 6 p.m.; Parkland/ACC winner  vs. Allen/Nazareth winner at 8 p.m.

Thursday’s championship at PPL Center: 8 p.m. start

 

 

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