Girls’ Basketball: Vikings stay on top as Perkiomen Valley, Spring-Ford renew rivalry

GRATERFORD >> It’s a great big world out there.

The Perkiomen Valley and Spring-Ford girls’ basketball teams have been taking it on in the early weeks of the season. Challenging non-league matchups, showcase games, tournament trips to Florida, the Vikings’ and Rams’ journeys so far have largely mirrored one another.

Yet all roads eventually lead home for possibly their greatest challenge of all: each other.

The Pioneer Athletic Conference’s current best rivalry — regardless of sport — was the top ticket in town Friday night, the Vikings and Rams’ first meeting of the season played in front of a near-capacity crowd at Perkiomen Valley.

Befitting of a big crowd, the Vikings had a crowd of contributors who factored into their 61-48 victory over Spring-Ford as the reigning PAC and District 1-6A champions stayed unbeaten in the conference.

Junior Grace Galbavy, the reigning Mercury All-Area Player of the Year and recent 1,000-point scorer, led the way with 21 points. But she was far from alone.

Junior point guard Bella Bacani had a knack for knocking down a shot each time the Rams were trying to grab momentum and scored 13 points. PV’s other recent 1,000-point scorer Quinn Boettinger didn’t have a field goal but still scored eight at the free-throw line.

Juniors Julia Smith and Lena Stein (eight points) knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers that punctuated the game-turning 15-3 run in the third quarter.

PV also benefited from the presence of senior Anna Stein (seven points) and junior Grace Miley, both back in the lineup from ACL injuries that held them out a year ago.

“We have eight players that can start on any varsity basketball team in the state. When you have that and the next person is just as good, how do you scout that? How do you defend that?’ Galbavy said. “We’re blessed with how many people we have and how hard everybody works.

“We have an even deeper bench than we did last year with everybody coming back healthy so I feel like we keep getting better and better.”

Perk Valley improved to 5-0 in the Liberty and 12-1 overall, a record that includes wins over Penn Charter and reigning Delaware champion Sanford. Spring-Ford took its first league loss (4-1, 5-1, 11-3).

The rivalry is so strong after the teams met four times last year – twice in the regular season, the PAC final and the District 1 semifinals. The final three went in PV’s favor.

The streak went to four Friday, but Spring-Ford acquitted itself well against a team head coach Mickey McDaniel is full of praise for.

“Obviously they’re a very good team. They’re a state-championship contending team,” McDaniel said. “They have size, they have kids that can get to the rim, and they rebound, they can block shots. They also have girls who hit some key baskets.

“When you look at that team and look at the age of that team, it’s pretty incredible for them for what they’re going to have the next few years.”

Spring-Ford has significant potential itself with nearly all pieces back from last year’s team that reached the second round of the PIAA tournament.

Seniors Anna Azzara and Mac Pettinelli matched for a team-high 15 points while Aaliyah Solliday, back from an ACL injury that held her out last season, scored nine on three 3-pointers.

The Vikings’ athleticism and length on defense make them a difficult matchup for any opponent, but there were encouraging signs according to McDaniel.

“We learned some good things tonight. No loss is a good loss, but a loss isn’t failure unless you let it be,” he said. “I think tonight, everyone in the locker room realized we can be a very good team, but we have to keep getting better. We have to get better and push each other. We’ve just got to earn it.”

The game was basket for basket at the start, Galbavy asserting early while Solliday found her stroke late. Her second straight 3 in the closing seconds gave the Rams a 13-11 lead after one.

The Vikings closed the second quarter on a 11-5 swing while working their way to the free throw line. Boettinger scored six at the line in the frame to open a 25-20 halftime lead.

Pettinelli hit a 3 to open the third quarter and got Spring-Ford within two (25-23). But Bacani answered with a 3 that triggered the decisive 15-3 run to put PV up 40-26 at the 3:07 mark of the third quarter.

Spring-Ford never got closer than eight (45-37) the rest of the way despite PV’s uncharacteristic night at the line (16-for-29).

“It was just a matter of waiting for everybody to heat up,” Galbavy said. “Sometimes Quinn will turn up earlier, or I’ll turn up earlier, or Bella. We know at some point they’re all going to heat up. We went into halftime leading and still knowing we hadn’t hit our heat check yet. I had high hopes.”

Rightly so, regardless of whether it’s an opponent from far away, or right next door.

Perkiomen Valley 61, Spring-Ford 48

Spring-Ford 13 7 14 14 – 48
Perkiomen Valley 11 14 17 19 – 61

Spring-Ford: Preuss 2 0 2-4 6, Solliday 0 3 0-0 9, Chamberlain 0 0 0-0 0, Miller 0 0 0-0 0, K Tiffan 0 1 0-0 3, C Tiffan 0 0 0-0 0, Pettinelli 6 1 0-0 15. Totals 14 5 5-10 48.

Perkiomen Valley: A Stein 1 1 2-2 7, Bacani 3 2 1-2 13, Smith 0 1 0-0 3, L Stein 1 2 0-1 8, Miley 0 0 1-2 1, Boettinger 0 0 8-12 8, Galbavy 7 1 4-10 21. Totals 12 7 16-29 61.