Unified Spring-Ford handles Haverford for spot in states, District 1-6A quarterfinals

UPPER PROVIDENCE >> Five fingers, one fist.

That’s become the unifying symbol for Spring-Ford this season. The concept of the fist doing more damage as a unit than the fingers individually was borne out by the Rams Thursday when they continued their latest extended post-season drive by hosting Haverford High in a District 1-6A second-round game.

Final: Spring-Ford 58, Haverford 39, District 1 6A girls basketball. @GbbFord earns return to states and district quarterfinal spot. No. 4 seeds will host Upper Dublin Saturday, 1 p.m. pic.twitter.com/X4I1fP6Q4e

— Austin Hertzog (@AustinHertzog) February 22, 2019

With its bench players backing up the solid starting lineup, Spring-Ford rolled over the Fords, 58-39, to secure its latest state-tournament berth. The Rams (22-2) were more than a match for their 13th-seeded guests, leading in most every statistical category and effectively putting the game out of Haverford’s reach in the first quarter.

“The symbol of the five fingers and one fist … that’s a true representation of the team,” head coach Mickey McDaniel affirmed. “This is a close-knit group that has goals it holds inside.”

The only blips on the Rams’ domination of the game came at the beginning of the first two quarters. Haverford (17-8) scored the first three points before Spring-Ford ran off 10 straight for a lead that was not headed the rest of the way.

The Fords made a run at their hosts to start the second stanza, cutting an 18-9 deficit down to a pair (18-16) in little more than a minute. But the fourth-seeded Rams’ response was to go on a 17-point run that covered the rest of the half and 40 seconds into the second.

Lucy Olsen headed a balanced Spring-Ford scoring crew with 12 points, nine of them coming in the first quarter. Emily Tiffan and Olivia Olsen each chipped in with 10, and Alyssa Yuan offered another 10 off the bench.

“We wanted to come out and play hard in the second quarter,” Lucy Olsen said. “Defensively, we all came out with energy and made it happen.”

Beyond Lindsey Lane’s team-high 12 points, and another 11 from Erin Doherty, Haverford ultimately had no answer for Spring-Ford at either end of the floor. The Fords were held under 32 percent field-goal accuracy (13-for-41), committed 22 turnovers to the Rams’ 16 and had the ball stolen from them 10 times.

Their brightest accomplishment was a 28-26 rebounding edge, with Annalena O’Reilly clearing a game-high eight boards and Lane six more. But the Fords weren’t able to accomplish what their head coach saw as a key to the game.

“Our main focus is to handle the ball under pressure,” Lauren Pellicane said. “But they (Rams) forced us to rush our offense and commit 22 turnovers. We have to be able to handle the ball.

“When we took care of the ball, we were able to get good shots,” she added. “We did that during the one run, but unfortunately we fell apart after that.”

The Olsens proved to be the most disruptive Rams to the Haverford offense. Lucy had four of their steals, and Olivia had five of the team’s seven blocked shots.

At the other end, Lucy Olsen dished off four assists.

“We took care of business,” Tiffan, who had five boards to go with her double-digit points, said. “It was important to keep our energy up, and the momentum going.”

From the reserve ranks, Skylar Sulllivan had a team-high six rebounds, two assists and two steals to complement the pair of 3-point baskets she nailed in the second quarter. As a unit playing the final two minutes, the reserves played their Haverford counterparts fairly even to put the cap on the win.

“From the bench,” McDaniel said, “Gabs (Alessandroni) made some nice deflections. We need strong contributions from those players. That’s one of our strong suits.”

Spring-Ford’s next challenge on its district run comes Saturday, when its hosts fifth-seeded but defending 6A state champion Upper Dublin at 1 p.m. Haverford, in the meantime, drops into the 9-11 playback bracket as one of eight district teams vying for the last three of its 11 state berths.

“That’s our task, to win a few and get to states,” Pellicane said.

For Spring-Ford, the target is a higher one.

“Now that we’re guaranteed states,” Lucy Olsen said, “we’re concentrating on a district title.”

NOTES >> As a team, Spring-Ford shot just short of 50 percent (24-for-50) from the floor and 3-point range (6-for-13). Haverford, by comparison, came up empty on its six long-distance shots. … The Fords finished a solid 86 percent (13-for-15) at the line, with Doherty going 5-for-6. … The Rams limited their turnovers to 16 for the night.