ROYERSFORD – It’s the matchup everyone’s expected all year.
Saturday night’s PAC girls’ basketball semifinals at Spring-Ford featured a pair of decisive outcomes, as top-seeded Perkiomen Valley dispatched No. 4 Pope John Paul II by a 73-22 final in the opener, before No. 3 seed Spring-Ford eliminated No. 2 seed and Frontier Division champion Phoenixville by a final of 86-56 in the nightcap.
Bella Bacani led four Vikings in double figures with 17 — all in the first half — as Perkiomen Valley built a 15-0 lead at the start and never looked back.
Meanwhile, Anna Azzara led Spring-Ford with 24 and Aaliyah Solliday had 17 as the Rams knocked down 13 threes, riding a 17-0 run after the halftime break to a comfortable victory.
Both the results and the final scores outline the dominance displayed by these two programs throughout 2023-2024. Perkiomen Valley (22-1, 14-0 PAC) hasn’t lost to a Pennsylvania-based opponent, while Spring-Ford’s (21-4, 13-2 PAC) only two conference blemishes came against the Vikings.
For the past two seasons, the Vikings and Rams have separated themselves from the rest of the league not only on account of their respective in-conference performances, but also by virtue of their play at the district and state levels.
The 2022-2023 season was a memorable one for both programs, as Perkiomen Valley claimed a PAC and District 1 title while both schools advanced to the second round of the PIAA 6A tournament.
But as both teams proved in Saturday’s wire-to-wire victories, they’ve raised the bar this time around.
Why? Because this time, both squads are at full strength.
Missing from last year’s Vikings squad were guard Anna Stein and forward Grace Miley, both sitting out the campaign as they rehabbed ACL tears.
For senior Stein, it’s her first normal year of high school basketball after losing the past two season to ACL and meniscus injuries. Getting this year with her teammates — including sister Lena — before she heads off to Kutztown in the fall was a long-term goal.
“And freshman year was COVID,” she said. “So this season was really my only opportunity. It meant so much and I was determined to get back.”
On a team with Division 1 prospects in juniors Grace Galbavy, Navy commit Quinn Boettinger, and Bacani, the scoring onus isn’t on Stein or Miley. The duo plays their roles well as the first two players off PV’s bench.
On Saturday night, Miley hit a quick three off the bench en route to a 12-point outing while Stein added a quick layup off a steal and finished with five points. But each sees her role as glue-type players who give the Vikings added options that weren’t available a season ago.
“We have 2-3 dominant scorers,” said Stein. “When we come off the bench, we have to find a role, and that’s bringing energy. It makes us harder to scout, harder to guard. It’s tougher for teams to go against us when we have 7-8 girls who could be starters.”
Going through the rehab process together strengthened the bond between Miley and Stein specifically.
“When I tore my ACL in (October 2022), I knew Anna was going through the same thing,” said Miley. “She really helped me in the beginning with advice. It’s great to have someone to turn to in that situation.”
No one knows that tale better than one of their championship game adversaries. Spring-Ford senior guard Aaliyah Solliday is back in the Rams’ starting lineup this season after missing her junior year with an ACL tear of her own.
On Saturday, Solliday combined with Azzara to light it up from outside as the Rams went for a season-high 86 points. But her all-around game was on display as she harassed ball handlers, gaining a block and several steals while remaining aggressive despite picking up a fourth foul in the third quarter.
“This year, I’m another option on the court that we didn’t have [last year],” said Solliday. “I’m another set of eyes out there.”
Solliday’s injury happened right before the start of her junior campaign, so while she missed the school season, she was cleared in time for summer ball. But everything led up to this, her senior year with the Rams.
“Mentally, it’s hard watching everyone around me, playing ball, having fun, and I’m just sitting on the bench,” she admitted. “I always wanted to be there for my team, but I’d rather be out there on the court, of course.
“Now I feel like I’m back at full strength. I’ve learned not to take the game for granted, and I think my love for playing is greater.”
Both Pope John Paul II and Phoenixville ran into buzzsaws on Saturday, but the story doesn’t end here for the Frontier Division’s top two finishers.
PJP was led by Katie Nilles’ six points and five each from Sophie Vigliotta and Rylee Derecola.
The Golden Panthers (14-10, 9-6 PAC) will start District 1-4A play on the road next week.
“I think the takeaway from a game like this for a young team is we get to go against a top team in 6A, play against players like Bacani and (Grace) Galbavy — there are very few players that elite who we’ll see in the playoffs,” said PJP coach Jack Flanagan.
Meanwhile, Phoenixville’s (16-7, 12-2 PAC) Frontier Division championship campaign yielded an opportunity to host an opening-round game in the District 1-5A tournament next week.
Kayden Baratta, the PAC’s leading scorer, caught fire for the Phantoms with a game-high 27 points including seven 3s.
“We can’t control the outcome, but we can control our reactions, our emotions on the floor,” said Baratta. “Spring-Ford is a really good team, but this experience will take us to a higher level in Districts.
“I was in a shooting slump the last couple of games. It’s nice to get back into the groove.”
But the story was the promise of what’s long been the area’s best rivalry across numerous sports adding another chapter on the hardwood Wednesday night.
“We’re excited,” said PV’s Miley. “It’s always a tough game, a competitive game.”
“It’s been the same team since my freshman year, and we’ve gone back and forth,” said Anna Stein, PV’s lone senior. “It’s definitely exciting because it’s the last time for me. Hopefully all our hard work pays off.”
“We’ll need to be better on the defensive end and in our rebounding,” said Solliday. “We need to get to work the next couple days in practice and transfer that in the game.”
BOX SCORES
Perkiomen Valley 73, Pope John Paul II 22
Pope John Paul II — 6 2 2 12 — 22
Perkiomen Valley — 30 22 16 5 — 73
Pope John Paul II — Colliluori 0 0-0 0, Nilles 3 0-0 6, Albeck 0 0-0 0, Fitzgerald 1 1-2 3, Derecola 2 1-2 5, Hagmann 0 0-0 0, Todd 1 1-2 3, Sa. Vigliotta 0 0-0 0, So. Vigliotta 1 1 0-0 5, Fish 0 0-0 0, McCoy 0 0-0 0, Satalin 0 0-0 0. Totals 8 1 3-6 22.
Perkiomen Valley — A. Stein 1 1 0-0 5, Bacani 4 3 0-0 17, Smith 1 0-0 2, Nemic 0 3-4 3, L. Stein 1 0-0 2, Fowler 1 0-0 2, Miley 2 1 5-5 12, Boettinger 6 2-2 14, Galbavy 7 0-0 14, Binkowski 0 0-0 0, King 0 0-0 0. Totals 24 5 10-11 73.
Spring-Ford 86, Phoenixville 56
Spring-Ford — 27 16 25 18 — 86
Phoenixville — 10 16 12 18 — 56
Spring-Ford — Preuss 1 1 0-0 5, Solliday 4 3 0-0 17, Chamberlain 0 0 0-0 0, B. Azzara 0 0 0-0 0, Allocca 0 1 0-0 3, Kaercher 1 0 0-2 2, Miller 0 1 0-0 3, A. Azzara 6 4 0-0 24, K.Tiffan 6 0 1-2 13, C. Tiffan 1 0 0-0 2, Pettinelli 4 1 0-0 11, Maloney 0 0 0-0 0, Prophet 0 2 0-0 6. Totals 23 13 1-4 86.
Phoenixville — Ford-Bey 3 0 0-0 6, Turner 3 0 1-1 7, Warren 1 0 0-0 2, Schneider 2 0 0-1 4, Meyers 0 0 0-0 0, Gnias 1 0 0-0 2, Baratta 3 7 0 0-0 27, Ulcay 1 1 3-4 8. Totals 14 8 4-6 56.
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