PAC Girls Basketball Final Four Preview: Spring-Ford-Owen J. Roberts, Methacton-Pottsgrove

The Pioneer Athletic Conference girls basketball playoffs continue Saturday at Spring-Ford with a semifinal doubleheader featuring No. 1 seed and two-time defending champion Spring-Ford against No. 5 Owen J. Roberts at 6 p.m. followed by No. 2 Pottsgrove vs. No. 3 Methacton at 7:30 p.m.

The championship game will take place at Spring-Ford on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m.

Here is a look at Saturday’s semifinals:

No. 1 Spring-Ford vs. No. 5 Owen J. Roberts

Records >> Spring-Ford – 9-1 PAC Liberty, 15-1 PAC, 19-3 overall, PAC Liberty champion, No. 2 in District 1-6A rankings … Owen J. Roberts – 6-4 PAC Liberty, 12-4 PAC, 16-7 overall, PAC No. 1 wild card, No. 16 in District 1-6A rankings

Head-to-head >> On Jan. 3, Spring-Ford rallied past OJR 44-41, spoiling Wildcat senior Olivia LeClaire’s 1,000-point milestone night. Rams junior Lucy Olsen led the charge with 20 points as S-F rallied from six down in the final 3:19. … On Jan. 21, the Rams topped the Wildcats 54-48 on their home floor. S-F built a slight lead in the third quarter and maintained it down the stretch as Olsen scored 21 and Alyssa Yuan added 16.

Path to the semifinals >> Spring-Ford had a bye in the first round. Owen J. Roberts held off Pope John Paul II 37-34, getting 14 points and 17 rebounds from senior Olivia LeClaire.

Spring-Ford at a glance >> The Rams begin their postseason off a loss – a 41-35 setback to defending District 1 champion Garnet Valley on Feb. 1 – and are 8-2 in their last 10. The Rams run through junior point guard Olsen, last year’s Mercury All-Area Player of the Year, who is averaging a PAC-best 19.4 points per game. Olsen continues to improve her offensive versatility and is equally a standout on the defensive end. She is complemented by senior forward Yuan (7.7 ppg), junior guard and 3-point threat Abbey Boyer (7.1 ppg) and other starters, wing Skylar Sullivan (5.4) and forward Hailey Hudak, while head coach Mickey McDaniel’s rotation also features Gabs Alessandroni, Mac Maloney, Juliana Scogna and De’ja Engle. The Rams’ second-leading scorer, junior Emily Tiffan (9.9 ppg), has been out since Jan. 1 due to a foot injury.

Owen J. Roberts at a glance >> The Wildcats entered the postseason on a two-game losing streak and had their hands full with PJP in the opening round, until finding enough to avoid a second straight first-round exit in PACs. Owen J. has two strong scoring options in senior forward Olivia LeClaire (13.0 ppg) and sophomore point guard Avery White (13.1). Seniors Brooke Greenawald (6.0), Maddi Koury and sophomore Gabbi Koury filled out the first-round starting lineup, the younger Koury replacing senior guard Hannah Clay (7.4 ppg), who was out due to injury. Freshman Alexa Vogelman made a number of key plays off the bench in the opening round.

Breakdown and prediction >> There are no secrets between two teams that have tested each other greatly over the last two seasons. White’s ballhandling makes OJR capable of withstanding the full-court pressure Spring-Ford is known for and the Wildcats have proven to be able to play neck and neck with the Rams. Olsen subtly made an important point after the two teams’ first meeting on Jan. 3. “I just really wanted to win the game. I knew if we lost it they would think they can beat us,” she said at the time. “If we beat them once, it’ll help us beat them the next time.” Maintaining the psychological edge over OJR was as big or bigger than the on-court edge. That edge remains, the thorn in the side of the Wildcats for the whole of their scholastic careers. OJR won’t be short on desire, but every time these teams have played tight, Olsen finds a way to take over when the Rams need it most. … Spring-Ford 44, Owen J. Roberts 40

No. 2 Pottsgrove vs. No. 3 Methacton

Records >> Pottsgrove – 10-0 PAC Frontier, 13-3 PAC, 17-5 overall, PAC Frontier champion, No. 7 in District 1-5A … Methacton – 8-2 PAC Liberty, 14-2 PAC, 21-2 overall, PAC Liberty second place, District 1-6A No. 5 ranked team

Head-to-head >> On Jan. 4, Methacton edged Pottsgrove 51-45 thanks to monstrous games from senior Sydney Tornetta (20 points, 17 rebounds) and sophomore Nicole Timko (21 points, 8 rebounds). Sierra Potts topped Pottsgrove with 13.

Path to the semifinals >> Pottsgrove was the Frontier Division champion and had a first-round bye … Methacton overcame a poor start to defeat Boyertown 45-35 thanks to a 35-15 rebounding disparity and 14 points from freshman guard Cassidy Kropp.

Pottsgrove at a glance >> The Falcons capped a second straight unbeaten run through the Frontier with a 51-44 win over Phoenixville on Jan. 30. They are 8-2 over their last 10 and winners of two straight entering the postseason. Junior forward Sydney Mowery has emerged as Pottsgrove’s top scorer at 11.6 points per game, followed by junior point guard Riley Simon (9.0), 3-point threat Sierra Potts (7.2), Jaimi Makins (4.2) and senior Summer Walker. Mike Brendlinger’s rotation also features Justine Fretz and Rachel Ludwig.

Methacton at a glance >> Methacton, which returned four starters from last year’s PIAA qualifier, is on an 11-game winning streak. The Warriors are led by sophomore guard Nicole Timko, the PAC’s third-leading scorer at 15.5 points per game (PAC-best 68 3-pointers), and senior forward Sydney Tornetta (12.0 ppg), who surpassed 1,000 career points last week. Freshman point guard Cassidy Kropp (7.4 ppg) showed herself ready for the postseason in the first round while Sydney Hargrove (5.8 ppg) and Caroline Pellicano (3.9 ppg) are reliable fixtures in the frontcourt. Tori Bockrath and Allie Hazlett are the first players off the bench for coach Craig Kaminski’s squad. The Warriors allow only 30.9 points per game, best in the league.

Breakdown and prediction >> Pottsgrove led Methacton by eight points entering the fourth quarter in their regular season meeting so it’s clear the Falcons can compete. But the fourth quarter indicates that when the Warriors go to a higher gear, they’re simply a step ahead. Pottsgrove should be able to contend with Methacton better on the boards than Boyertown could in the first round and it has the shooters and reliable defense to make this semifinal a tight one. This is only the semifinal, but in some ways it’s bigger than that for the Falcons: a win over a top 5 team in 6A in the district would be the best result the current crop of talent has had to date. Meanwhile, Methacton looks capable of winning the championship last year’s finalist watched Spring-Ford raise a year ago. Ultimately, a close semifinal falls in favor of the more experienced and tested team … Methacton 41, Pottsgrove 36.