Spring-Ford’s strong finish cools off Norristown

WEST NORRITON >> Terrible start, strong finish.

Great start, terrible finish.

Thursday night at Norristown High School, Spring-Ford’s basketball team was the first sentence and Norristown was the second.

To no surprise, the Rams emerged with a 51-37 Pioneer Athletic Conference victory that cooled the Eagles, who had won eight of their last nine coming in.

“We came out flat, didn’t have a sense of urgency,” said Rams head coach Chris Talley. “But from the second period on, we looked great. We put pressure on them, and we played real strong offensively.”

The Rams also made free throws, shooting 7-for-8 in the final quarter after going 4-for-9 in the first half.

Chucky Drummond was 6-for-6 in the fourth quarter, as the Rams put the game away with relative ease.

On the other side of things, the Eagles cooled after a hot start, scoring just 12 points in the second half after taking a 25-22 lead into halftime.

“We came out and played great defense,” said Eagles head coach Mike Evans, “and we played together.

“But we stopped doing what gave us the lead.

“We had 18 turnovers and you can’t win doing that.”

The Eagles owned the first quarter, and took a 13-4 lead after one.

But the Rams, slow and hesitant in the first quarter, blew up in the second. And behind six points from Drummond and five more from Robert Bobeck pulled within 25-22 at the break.

The Eagles opened the second half with five straight turnovers, and the Rams feasted, outscoring Norristown in the second half, 27-12.

“Credit Norristown,” Talley said. “They’re tough and this is a tough environment to play in.

“But from the second period on, we played with a sense of urgency. We got pressure on then, and that was the difference.”

Spring-Ford 51, Norristown 37
Spring-Ford        4 18 12 17 — 51
Norristown         13 12   8   4 — 37
Spring-Ford: Chucky Drummond 3 10-10 16; Ryan Fitzpatrick 3 0-0 6; Robert Bobeck 3 1-2 7; Noah Baker 6 0-0 12; Adam Germenski 0 1-4 1; Nestor Diaz 2 0-0 4; Austin Hokanson 2 1-3 5; Ry an Hagan 0 0-0 0 Totals 19 13-19 51.
Norristown: Darius McGowan 3 0-2 6; Kuron Clark 4 2-2 10; Michael Doorman 1 0-0 3; Xavier Edwards 2 2-3 7; Marquise Greenwood 3 2-3 8; Tyler Lyons 0 0-0 0; Marcus Sanford 0 0-0 0; Jamile Williams 0 0-0 0; Darius Hopewell 0 0-2 0; Justin Ulmer 2 0-0 4. 15 6-12 37.
3-pointers: Doorman; Edwards.