EPC girls basketball final

Bethlehem Catholic (21-3) vs. Easton (21-3)

Time: 6 p.m. Thursday.

Site: PPL Center (Allentown).

Online tickets: Available here.

Seeds: Bethlehem Catholic No. 2; Easton No. 1.

Bethlehem Catholic’s path to final: 65-13 W vs. No. 7 Pocono Mountain West, 63-55 W vs. No. 3 Emmaus.

Easton’s path to final: 54-40 W vs. No. 8 Liberty, 55-50 W vs. No. 4 Parkland.

Regular-season meetings: 49-34 Easton (Jan. 9), 43-35 Bethlehem Catholic (Feb. 2).

Bethlehem Catholic probable starters: Sr. G Aliyah Brame (13.2 points per game), Sr. G Leah Ault (11.2 ppg), Fr. G Kamryn Gallis (11.8 ppg), Sr. F Brooklyn Lewis (8.2 ppg), Fr. F Ayva Radande (6.1 ppg).

Easton probable starters: Jr. G Gabby Wismer (11.4 ppg), Sr. G Nat Amato (9.3 ppg), So. G Melina Cole (11.2 ppg), Sr. G Ava Muhammad (6.1 ppg), Sr. F Lianna Cole (3.3 ppg).

Overview

The two teams split their regular-season meetings. But the Easton victory in early January was against a short-handed Golden Hawks team that was playing without injured senior guard Aliyah Brame and freshman guard Kamryn Gallis. With those two suiting up in the rematch 10 days ago, Bethlehem Catholic posted a 43-35 victory over the Red Rovers. Brame scored 17 points in the meeting on Feb. 2.

Easton has plenty of strong guard play on its side, as well, with senior Nat Amato, junior Gabby Wismer and sophomore Melina Cole.

Could freshman guard Eva Jordan again make big contributions for the Red Rovers after she tallied 10 of her 15 points in the fourth quarter of the team’s 55-50 victory over Parkland in Tuesday night’s semifinal?

The Golden Hawks also have an abundance of weapons with senior guard Leah Ault, senior forward Brooklyn Lewis and freshman forward Ayva Radande. Senior guard Kendall Nickischer could also be an X factor in the championship game after scoring a team-high 13 points in Bethlehem Catholic’s 63-55 victory over Emmaus in the semifinals.

Playing at the PPL Center hasn’t equaled championship success for Easton in recent years. The Red Rovers are in their first EPC championship game since the 2023 conference final, which they lost to Allentown Central Catholic 52-49 in overtime. Easton also lost at the PPL Center in the conference semifinals against Parkland in 2024 (41-28 loss) and against Bethlehem Catholic in 2022 (45-40 loss). Easton is looking for its first conference championship since 2016.

The Golden Hawks are looking for their first EPC title since topping Northampton 37-32 in 2002. It’s the second consecutive appearance in the conference championship game for Bethlehem Catholic, which lost 59-37 to Emmaus in last year’s final.

Easton defeated the Golden Hawks 47-34 in the 2023 EPC semifinals at the PPL Center.

EPC championship history

2025: Emmaus

2024: Parkland

2023: Allentown Central Catholic

2022: Bethlehem Catholic

2021: (No tournament, only division champions)

2020: Bethlehem Catholic

2019: Bethlehem Catholic

2018: Bethlehem Catholic

2017: Bethlehem Catholic

2016: Easton

2015: Bethlehem Catholic

Prediction

This should be a very entertaining, hard-fought battle between two tremendous programs. There’s talent all over the court and a number of players could step up on either side to be the heroes. Easton has endured some tough losses in big games at the PPL Center in recent years. The biggest decider in the championship game is likely that the Golden Hawks are much healthier than earlier in the season and look to be very tough to beat. Pick: Bethlehem Catholic 48, Easton 45.