Quinn, Cardinal O’Hara cut down Spring-Ford 42-39 in PIAA 6A second round

READING >> Joanie Quinn stepped to the free-throw line with 9.8 seconds left in Tuesday’s PIAA Class 6A second round game with her Cardinal O’Hara girls basketball team clinging to a no-longer-comfortable lead on Spring-Ford.

In the pivotal moment, Quinn took a second to think about a college player she admires.

“There’s a girl on Villanova, Lucy Olsen, and me and my mom are really big fans of Villanova,” the Lions junior said. “My mom always points out how happy she is during the game. I feel like free throws are the perfect time to take a breath and be happy that you’re playing the game you love.”

Olsen, Villanova’s sophomore starting point guard, just so happens to be a Spring-Ford graduate. And she knows all about what came next.

With a big smile and a deep breath, Quinn coolly knocked down her game-sealing free throws to clinch Cardinal O’Hara’s 42-39 victory over Spring-Ford in a PIAA Class 6A second round game at Reading’s Geigle Complex, the third time in five seasons the Lions eliminated the Rams.

Quinn knocks down 2 at line to seal it for O’Hara pic.twitter.com/ORkQHGgCni

— Austin Hertzog (@AustinHertzog) March 14, 2023

Quinn scored a game-high 15 points (8-for-12 at the line) and double-digit scoring came from Molly Rullo (12) and Carly Coleman (11) as O’Hara advanced to the quarterfinals where it will face District 3 runner-up Central York on Friday at a site and time to be determined.

Cardinal O’Hara built as large as a 16-point lead in the third quarter but saw Spring-Ford come to life to get within three on a pair of occasions in the late stages.

“They gutted it out. We almost let it slip away,” O’Hara coach Chrissie Doogan said. “Give Spring-Ford a lot of credit, they left it all on the floor. That’s what you have to do because it’s do or die.”

Quinn, who has O’Hara in her blood – her family includes an aunt and uncle who went on to play at La Salle and St. Joseph’s and her mom Joanie played at Boston College – went 4-for-4 at the line late to preserve the win.

“I’ve just grown up on the court and it’s really fun to play where (my mom) played since they all played at O’Hara,” Quinn said.

“Joanie did a nice job handling pressure and knocking down foul shots and the end of the game,” Doogan said. “She comes from a family of competitors. I grew up with her mom and her aunt and they are really competitive. She’s the kid you want on the foul line at the end of games.”

Spring-Ford, the District 1 third-place team and Pioneer Athletic Conference runner-up, saw its season end with a 25-6 record. Junior Anna Azzara scored 10 for the Rams.

“We’re very proud of the effort they gave,” Spring-Ford coach Mickey McDaniel said. “In the second half there was that sense of urgency. When our backs were against the wall and there was that sense of urgency, we let the tank empty. After the game we talked about how that sense of urgency needs to be there from the tip off.”

One side of the coin shows an opportunity missed for the Rams; the other shows business as usual for the two-time reigning PIAA 5A champions who are back in Class 6A this year.

O’Hara also resumed being a thorn in the side of Spring-Ford: the Lions eliminated the Rams from the state tournament in 2019 and 2020 as well, the aforementioned Olsen’s sophomore and junior years.

“I really thought this year we could get the ‘W’ and move into the quarterfinals and it just didn’t happen for us,” McDaniel said. “It’s not an easy time right now. It’s been a long season and these girls have worked hard, traveled a lot to play games and been very successful. The program’s gotta keep working to get over this hump and I know with the work ethic of the girls we’re going to get to that point.”

Spring-Ford’s graduating players include Riley Quinn and center Meg Robbins, who is committed to play at Elizabethtown.

The Lions showed courage from the start, Quinn and Coleman capably getting to the rim. A tight game turned with a 9-0 O’Hara run capped by a Molly Rullo 3-pointer for 19-10 lead.

“Our two keys were to play tough and shoot. I think that’s really what we focused on,” Quinn said. “Playing tough just comes down to coming to the ball, getting rebounds, it’s just a mindset and I think we all had it tonight.”

The lead extended to 16 with 2:06 left in the third on a Rullo score in transition.

Molly Rullo in transition and O’Hara opens up 34-18 lead with 2:06 3Q

Lions dominating here pic.twitter.com/r9sn24GSUb

— Austin Hertzog (@AustinHertzog) March 14, 2023

That’s when Spring-Ford came to life, an 11-2 run fueled by junior leaders Azzara and Mac Pettinelli and freshman Sophia Allocca (6 points) to get within 38-35 with less than two minutes remaining.

Three points was as close as the Lions would allow.

O’Hara, despite graduating a star trio last season, namely former Daily Times Player of the Year Maggie Doogan and Marshall freshman Sydni Scott (who was in attendance), is back deep in the postseason.

“They are well prepared,” Doogan said of her current squad. “These guys practiced against Division I players all last year. Sydni Scott was in the stands cheering for them today and that’s great. That’s O’Hara basketball.

“They’ve been waiting their turn. Yeah, they’ve been to Hershey the last two years but they want to be on the court and experience it themselves. They are well prepared and embracing the moment right now.”

For Quinn’s part, she has afternoon plans the next couple weeks if she gets her way.

“I have it on my schedule to have practice from 4:30-6 up until March 23, which would be before the state championship,” she said. “I think that’s what we’re all working toward.”

Cardinal O’Hara 42, Spring-Ford 39

Cardinal O’Hara: Miller 0 0-0 0, Quinn 3 8-12 15, Coleman 5 1-3 11, Molly Rullo 5 0-0 12, Dawson 1 2-3 4, M Rullo 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 11-18 42.
Spring-Ford: Brescia 0 0-0 0, Preuss 1 0-0 2, Allocca 3 0-0 6, Miller 1 1-2 4, Azzara 4 1-1 10, Tiffan 1 3-4 5, Pettinelli 4 0-0 8, Prophet 0 0-0 0, Robbins 2 0-0 4. Totals 16 5-7 39.
Cardinal O’Hara 14 6 14 8 – 42
Spring-Ford 10 4 10 15 – 39
3-pointers: CO-Rullo 2, Quinn 1; SF-Miller, Azzara.