Spring-Ford rolls to big win over Northeastern in first round of PIAA Class 6A girls basketball playoffs

ROYERSFORD — Coming off an overtime loss to rival Perkiomen Valley in the District 1 Class 6A girls basketball final, Spring-Ford entered the first round of the PIAA Class 6A playoffs on Friday night looking to bounce back.

The Rams did just that, responding immediately and emphatically.

Spring-Ford earned a commanding 71-37 victory over Northeastern, the fifth-place team from District 3, to get back in the win column and continue its season.

“I’m just really proud of the girls tonight, coming off that tough loss at Temple (in the district final) on Saturday,” Rams coach Mickey McDaniel said. “They’re the kind of losses that hurt.”

Spring-Ford (24-6) will take on Peters Township, the third-place team from District 7, in the second round of the playoffs on Tuesday at a time and location to be determined. Peters Township (24-2) beat Lebanon 69-49 in a first-round game on Friday night.

“We know how we can play,” junior Kareena Preuss said. “We just have to keep playing like our best selves.”

The Rams played like themselves on Friday night, spreading the floor, moving the ball with pace and letting it fly from beyond the arc. Spring-Ford knocked down 11 3-pointers, including three from Preuss and a trio from senior Anna Azzara.

“We were so unselfish,” McDaniel said. “We’re so unselfish making the extra pass and we made shots.”

A guard, Preuss led the Rams with 21 points in just three quarters of action. Azzara, a fellow guard, finished with 15 points.

“Kareena was very active, whether on the offensive end or the defensive end,” McDaniel said about Preuss. “She did a really nice job seeing the open man when she got the ball.”

Senior Katie Tiffan finished with 14 points and senior Aaliyah Solliday had 10 points. Eight different Rams scored in the win over the Bobcats (23-4).

“I think we really shared the ball well and we played very unselfish, which really helped,” Preuss said. “We played good defense.”

Spring-Ford relied heavily on its press defense early, wreaking havoc on Northeastern’s offense. Behind points off turnovers, the Rams began the game on a 22-3 run that lasted the entire first quarter.

“It got us moving,” Preuss said about the game-opening run. “We got a few tips and steals and that really started the energy up, and we got some fast breaks that just pushed us into our game.”

The Rams led 46-12 at the half before cruising to the victory. The mercy-rule running clock was instituted for the entire second half.

“Especially at this time of the year, when you start to create points off turnovers, it can be demoralizing to your opponent,” McDaniel said. “That’s what it does.”

Friday’s result marks the eighth time this season Spring-Ford has scored 70 or more points. The 37 points are the second-fewest they have allowed this postseason.

“We just got to keep getting better and better,” McDaniel said. “We’re at a time now, there’s no time to think back on anything.”

Spring-Ford 71, Northeastern 37

Northeastern  3  9  11  14 – 37

Spring-Ford  22  24  19  6 – 71

Northeastern: Gross 0 0 0-0 0, Coleman 6 1 2-5 17, Craley 0 0 0-0 0, Himes 0 0 0-0 0, Davis 3 0 2-2 8, Kennedy 0 0 0-0 0, Bush 1 0 1-4 3, Finnegan 2 0 3-8 7, Reichard 1 0 0-0 2, Kramer 0 0 0-0 0, Brodbeck 0 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 1 8-19 37.

Spring-Ford: Preuss 6 3 0-0 21, Solliday 2 2 0-0 10, Allocca 1 0 0-0 2, Miller 1 0 0-0 2, Azzara 3 3 0-0 15, K Tiffan 3 2 2-2 14, C Tiffan 1 0 0-0 2, Pettinelli 1 1 0-0 5. Totals 18 11 2-2 71.