High Five: Spring-Ford rallies past Perkiomen Valley for 5th straight PAC title
ROYERSFORD >> The outcome felt much less determined than the previous four Pioneer Athletic Conference championships.
But the result was the same.
At the end of the PAC season, the Spring-Ford girls basketball team celebrated with another league title plaque.
The Rams used a big run between the third and fourth quarters and some clutch free throw shooting to knock off Perkiomen Valley, 43-36, at Spring-Ford on Wednesday for a fifth consecutive PAC championship.
“Just working together,” the Rams’ lone senior Kamryn Pufko said was the key to another league championship. “We really improved throughout practices and games. It was a total team effort.”
Following a 19-0 run by Perkiomen Valley (19-5) starting in the middle of the second quarter and extending into the third, Spring-Ford (19-5) trailed 26-17 around the two-minute mark in the third.
By the end of the period, Spring-Ford had the deficit down to five, 28-23. Sophomores Aaliyah Solliday and Mac Pettinelli alternated hitting big shots to start the fourth before classmate Anna Azzara scored a bucket to cap a 20-2 run, putting the Rams ahead 37-30 with 2:34 left.
“We got a timeout somewhere here and there and we kind of regathered ourselves,’” Pettinelli said. “And we were kind of like, ‘We have to start going, and we’re going to have to push the ball in the fourth quarter to at least get back in it and win.’ It was just a big spark.”
Azzara led the Rams with 14, and also helped hold PV leading scorer senior Jen Beattie to just a pair of threes in the game. Solliday and Pettinelli chipped in 11 and 10 points respectively, combining for 12 points in the fourth.
“Honestly, I think it’s us playing as a team that got us the open looks and settled shots,” Solliday said. “Because sometimes we were rushing, but then when we slowed down and got our feet set it was going in.”
After falling behind 17-9 to start the game following a slow offensive start, the Vikings kept the contest from getting out of hand when senior Emma Miley reeled off seven straight points to close the gap to 17-15 by halftime. She led PV with 13 points in the game.
Freshman Quinn Boettinger, who followed with nine points, scored a few quick buckets to start the second half. Beattie added a three, and freshman Grace Miley another and all of a sudden PV flipped an eight-point deficit to a 26-17 advantage.
“Emma Miley got hot and then we just went back to our offense and pounded it inside to get the lead,” Perkiomen Valley head coach John Russo said. “We just had some lapses on defense that gave up some key threes to them.”
Even as the Rams flipped the script with their 20-2 run, the Vikings continued to hang tough. Following a bucket by Boettinger, Miley knocked down a pair of free throws with a minute left to pull PV within three, 37-34.
Freshman Lena Stein came away with a steal to give PV a chance to tie, but the Vikings turned the ball right back over.
A 6-for-6 showing for the Rams from the line in the last half minute, including four from Azzara and two from Pufko, finished off the fifth consecutive league championship.
“It was really exciting,” Pufko said. “I just knew if I made these two it would really seal the deal, and we won.”
It was a fitting moment for the Rams’ vocal leader.
“Kam’s role has been huge,” Solliday said. “She probably has the biggest role on the team, not only being the only senior, but she’s the biggest voice on the court.”
PV hopes its group of standout freshmen will have a few more shots at title over the next three seasons.
“Honestly, it was real for us when practice started,” Russo said. “We just didn’t let the cat out of the bag. We knew when we beat Garnet Valley in our opening tip-off tournament that we could play with anybody. … We felt it. We feel like we’re just as good as any team that walks on the floor, honestly. I wish I could do a couple things differently.”
“Mickey does a great job, the kids are unbelievable over there,” he added. “It was a pleasure to play them. They compete like no other team and I’m looking forward to battling them for the next 10 years.”
The Rams are young as well as highlighted by three sophomores leading the way offensively on Wednesday night.
Junior forward Meg Robbins and sophomores Siena Miller and Katie Tiffan will also be back next year as the Rams go for a sixth straight.
“It’s a good accomplishment,” Solliday said. “It feels good to be a part of. … We all worked together and we’re like one big family. We’re always encouraging everyone no matter what.”
