PAC Boys Basketball Championship Preview: No. 1 Spring-Ford vs. No. 2 Upper Merion
The Frontier and Liberty champions are meeting in the Pioneer Athletic Conference boys basketball championship after both surviving double overtime thrillers in the semifinals.
No. 2 seed Upper Merion pulled out a last-second win to knock off No. 6 Perkiomen Valley in the semifinals when Josh Zimmerman came off the bench and made a putback on a missed free throw to beat the buzzer.
Not to be outdone on the drama scale, top-seeded Spring-Ford then fended off No. 4 Pottstown with the help of some late free throws from senior guard Caleb Little.
Both squads entered with first-round byes, but battled beyond the wire to reach the grand stage last week. Now, the two will contend for the PAC title at Spring-Ford on Tuesday.
Upper Merion (2) vs. Spring-Ford (1), 7 p.m.
Records >> Upper Merion: 9-4 PAC, 13-10 overall, No. 11 in District 1-5A rankings. Spring-Ford: 12-1 PAC, 21-2 overall, No. 1 in District 1-6A rankings.
Head-to-head >> The two met once this season in PAC crossover action on Dec. 22, a 62-47 home win for Spring-Ford.
PAC Playoff History >> This is the first time Upper Merion has reached the PAC championship, having joined the conference in 2017. The Vikings’ win over Perkiomen Valley in the semifinals marked Upper Merion’s first PAC playoff win as well.
After missing the tournament altogether last year, Spring-Ford is back in the PAC title game for the first time in five years. The Rams have won the conference five times, their first three coming before the tournament format. The last time Spring-Ford won the PAC was the 2015-16 season after a 54-48 overtime victory against Perkiomen Valley.
Vikings at a glance >> Upper Merion saw clutch heroics from Zimmerman in the semifinal, but Spring-Ford will need to find a way to handle the duo of Devon Nelson and Madison Tatom, who both spearhead the Vikings’ scoring at 10.5 points per game apiece. Tatom is a four-year starter and All-Frontier second-teamer.
Nick Smiley had a monster performance against Perkiomen Valley last week, breaking out with 22 points to fuel the Vikings onward. Devin Swayze also stepped up with 11 points. Colin Hirshorn, Yusuf Riley and Allen Cole also highlight the guard-heavy squad that’s competing for the school’s first PAC crown.
Rams at a glance >> Spring-Ford is the top-ranked team in District 1-6A for a reason, finding ways to close out tight games all season with the PAC semifinal being the latest example. The Rams are led by 6-foot-4 point guard Jacob Nguyen, who’s third in the PAC in scoring at 15.4 ppg.
Junior guard EJ Campbell (12.3 ppg) is also a major piston in Spring-Ford’s engine with Tommy Kelly and Alex Lewis leading the frontcourt. Zach Zollers and Little have also been major components for a defense allowing just 44.7 ppg, the best mark in the PAC.
Matchup and prediction >> Upper Merion has navigated a turbulent year between injuries and hardly any offseason work due to the earlier start to the season as well as the construction of its new gym. That being said, the Vikings have still gone further in the PAC than ever before, but have dropped their last three matchups against Spring-Ford in recent years. And this year’s Rams are battle-tested while boasting one of the top defenses in southeastern Pennsylvania. … Spring-Ford 64, Upper Merion 45
