ROYERSFORD >> The sun shined brightly into the gym at Spring-Ford Saturday afternoon, brightening the arena for the Pioneer Athletic Conference girls basketball semifinal doubleheader matinee. Everywhere except over the head of Methacton head coach Craig Kaminski.

“I feel like there’s a dark cloud over me, that I just cannot get over the hump to win one of these,” Kaminski said. “We knew this was going to be tough but we thought this year could be the one we break through from being bridesmaids.”

It’s hard to find a different way to process the ill fate of the likable 20th year head coach and his Methacton program, but Kaminski was right to be seeing ominous clouds.

Then the reign came.

It was four-time defending PAC champion Spring-Ford not letting their reign end without a fight as the Rams were rampant in a hot-shooting 36-point first half and kept their distance from No. 1 seed Methacton to win their semifinal 49-33 Saturday at Spring-Ford.

The history of the matchup in the PAC playoffs resides entirely in favor of Spring-Ford (18-5) – in the tournament’s last decade the Rams won all five meetings (all finals) with the Warriors entering Saturday. But this year the Warriors (20-3) were the Liberty Division champions, No. 1 seed and primed to break through after winning both regular season meetings (70-59 on Jan. 11; 47-44 on Feb. 1).

Spring-Ford’s super sophomores had other ideas.

“I think we won when it counted,” said Mackenzie Pettinelli. “We stepped up and knew we couldn’t lose three times to Methacton, that’s our biggest rival. Two was enough.”

“It was a great team win. Everyone stepped up with great effort on and off the court,” said point guard Anna Azzara.

Pettinelli and Azzara, the rebuilt Rams top returners from last year’s PIAA runner-up team, scored 11 points apiece while fellow sophomores Katie Tiffan and Siena Miller scored 12 and 9 points, respectively.

All four hit 3-pointers – the Rams were 50 percent from the arc (7-for-14), including six during their sizzling 36-point first half.

“We have all the faith in the world in our players taking the 3,” said head coach Mickey McDaniel. “With Anna, Katie, Mac, Siena and Aaliyah (Solliday), we have all the confidence in the world in them. They’re doing terrific passing to give up a good shot to create a better shot and that’s a credit to them.”

On the defensive end, Azzara had success slowing Methacton senior standout Nicole Timko (19 points) as the Rams threw smart double teams at the Warriors’ focal point while Pettinelli was credited with seven steals and seven rebounds. And Tiffan helped hold Methacton point guard and No. 2 scorer Cassidy Kropp to four points.

Spring-Ford’s strong start was crucial – it led 14-7 after the first period – but the decisive moments came in the second and third quarters. The Rams caught fire during a 14-4 run in the latter part of the second quarter, Miller hitting two of her 3s in the stretch, that opened up a 36-20 halftime lead.

The improved Warriors got the lead down to six, 36-30, when Kropp fed Mairi Smith (8 points) on the pick and roll with 1:29 in the third quarter.
But the poised Pettinelli scored on the ensuing possession with a driving layup to regain an eight-point lead that would never get closer the rest of the way.

“We got off to a fantastic start. But when you’re as well coached as Methacton is by Craig and his staff and you have the players they do, they are going to make a serious run,” McDaniel said. “We talked about just needing to weather that storm and we’ll be OK. You’ve gotta stay poised, stay calm but you’ve also gotta stay within your gameplan. The girls stayed within what we were trying to do offensively.”

Spring-Ford slowed the possessions down in the fourth quarter and didn’t give Methacton an inch in the final quarter, allowing the Warriors only three points over the final nine-plus minutes.

The shut-down style of the Rams’ play late bared resemblance to their postseason success of last season even though it’s a largely new group with only Azzara returning as a starter.

“That past success may help, but in this group they are finding their way, finding their basketball maturity and basketball IQ,” McDaniel said. “That’s what we’re really starting to see now. You can’t ask for a better time of the season to see it.”

After graduating four starters including three-time All-Area Player of the Year Lucy Olsen from last year’s District 1 champion and PIAA finals team the Rams were bound to take a step back. Apparently the team didn’t get the memo.

“We don’t want to step back,” Azzara said. “We want to keep going forward.”

Up next is the PAC championship on Wednesday against No. 3 seed Perkiomen Valley, a 55-20 winner over Pope John Paul II in the other semifinal. The teams split in the regular season.

Methacton turns its attention to the District 1 Class 6A playoffs. The current No. 3 ranked team will earn a first-round bye and begin its run on Wednesday, Feb. 23.