Mar 12, 2024 By Chris Dugan 4 min read

BELLEFONTE – Beating a talented team like Spring Ford is difficult enough, even with four quarters of steady and efficient basketball.

Doing it with only three quarters of offensive production is almost impossible, which is what Peters Township’s girls team discovered Tuesday night.

Aaliyah Solliday scored a career-high 25 points, and Spring Ford held Peters Township scoreless for more than seven minutes in the middle of the game en route to a 74-53 victory over the Indians in a PIAA Class 6A second-round game at Bald Eagle Area High School.

The win sends Spring Ford, the District 1 runner-up, into the quarterfinals Friday. Peters Township ends the season with a 24-3 record.

Peters Township led 27-20 midway through the second quarter after the Indians’ Daniela Radulovich grabbed an offensive rebound, was fouled and converted a three-point play. That was with 4:23 left before halftime.

The Indians would not score again until 5:21 remained in the third quarter.

Spring Ford reeled off 19 consecutive points during that time frame.

“We had the lead up to seven points and had chances to go up by even more but missed some shots,” lamented PT head coach Steve Limberiou. “At the end of the second quarter, we couldn’t get a few stops.”

To be precise, the Indians couldn’t stop Spring Ford’s Katie Tiffan, who scored the final 12 points of the first half as the Rams turned the 27-20 deficit into a 32-27 lead at intermission. Tiffan scored 12 of her 20 points in the final four minutes of the first half.

The Rams credited their defense with what turned the tide.

“We had to force them away from the basket,” said Spring Ford coach Mickey McDaniel. “If they executed their offense and made a 25-footer, then so be it. One of our goals was, we had to push them backward.”

“We started switching all their screens,” Solliday said. “That was key.”

Spring Ford forced PT out of contention in the third quarter. The Rams scored the first seven points of the second half to push their lead to 39-27.

Gemma Walker, who scored a team-high 24 points, ended the scoring drought for PT by making a three-pointer from the top of the key. Natalie Wetzel, who had 14 points, followed a three from almost the same spot on the floor, and PT pulled to within 39-33.

Spring Ford pushed the gap back to double digits, and the Rams’ Kareena Preuss grabbed an offensive rebound and made a shot at the buzzer, making it a 52-38 game entering the fourth quarter.

Walker scored 10 points in the fourth quarter, but Solliday had 12 as Spring Ford expanded its lead over the final eight minutes.

Peters Township, which made four of its first six three-pointers, finished 8-for-20 from behind the stripe and was unable to generate enough offense to fuel a comeback after losing the lead.

The Rams had four players score in double figures. Preuss scored 13 points and Mackenzie Pettinelli had 10.

“They’re a good team,” Limberiou confirmed. “They have a chance at the state championship.”

For Peters Township, it was a disappointing ending to what was a remarkable season. At one point in February, PT was one of only two undefeated teams – boys and girls – in the WPIAL.

“It starts with our three seniors,” Limberiou said. “They totally changed the perception of Peters Township girls basketball post-Makenna Marisa. “Twenty-four and three. I think this is the second-best season in school history.”

Limberiou, however, said this could be only the start of the good times for the Indians.

“There is another level that we need to get to. We have to get over the hump against these good teams. I think we can get there with what we have coming back and the players we have coming up through the program. How can you be anything but proud of this senior group.”