Gnias, Reid, Cooke turn it on late to guide Rams past Vikings, 54-48
ROYERSFORD>> This year’s Pioneer Athletic Conference boys basketball championship contained all the ingredients of true drama.
A full house of fans turned out to watch Liberty Division winner Spring-Ford and Liberty runnerup Perkiomen Valley battle for the championship plaque Tuesday night at Spring-Ford’s Ram Gymnasium.
Spring-Ford emerged victorious in an overtime tussle, 54-48. But that wasnot before numerous twists and turns in the scenario as well as a bizarre call at the end of regulation time.
“This is the best day ofmy life,” said Spring-Ford senior point guard Matt Gnias, who scored a game-high 24 points with three 3-pointers and also took down
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11 rebounds and had two steals.
“I have never in my life been in a game like this,” said the Rams’ Nigel Cooke.
Cooke finished with five points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals. Cameron Reid also had a big game for the Rams with 14 points 10 rebounds (seven offensive), one blocked shot and one assist despite foul trouble. Chucky Drummond had nine points and two steals with seven of his points coming in the first half.
Cooke alsomade the second of two free throw tries with 1.1 seconds on the clock that tied the game at 46 at the end of regulation time and forced the fourminute overtime session.
Justin Jaworski paced Perkiomen Valley with 16 points and three treys while Sean Owens finished with 13 points and two treys with three steals. Sean Moriarity had eight points and 11 boards, and Cullen O’Connor ended the night with nine points and eight rebounds plus a pair of big blocked shots.
Jaworski drove the length of the court for a basket that put the Vikings ahead 46-45 in the final second of the fourth quarter. The Perkiomen Valley fans stormed onto the court in celebration, thinking the Vikings had the game won. But there was 0.1 second officially left on the clock. The referees ordered the PV fans back into the stands and put 1.1 seconds on the clock when Cooke went to the line.
“I had to make the second one,” said Cooke.
Gnias scored six points in overtime with one trey and Reid sank two foul shots as Spring-Ford outscored PV 8-2 in the period. Jaworski tallied the Vikings’ basket in the frame.
Spring-Ford and Perkiomen Valley are two neighboring big schools who have become intense rivals in a lot of sports in the big-school division. In this case, Spring-Ford coach Chris Talley and Perkiomen Valley coach Mike Poysden brought their respective squads to the title game.
“They (Vikings) are right around the corner,” said Gnias. “We always have a good battle and have this atmosphere in all sports.”
Gnias made two 3-pointers and had 11 points in the fourth quarter, which also helped force overtime.
Spring-Ford’s combination defenses shadowed the high-scoring Jaworski and limited him to three free throws in the first quarter, which also represented his first-half point total. But Jaworski started to find his shooting rhythm in the third stanza, making two baskets from downtown and then another in the fourth period.
“Hats off to coach Poysden and his staff,” said Talley, whose Rams also won the PAC-10 crown two years ago. “They deserved it. They played well enough to win. It is a shame there has to be a loser in a game like this. It was a great high school basketball game.”
Spring-Ford held a 10-7 lead after one period and 20-15 at halftime. The Vikes then outscored the Rams 11-6 in the third quarter to create a 26-all tie after three.
“They (Vikings) have some tough, physical kids,” said Talley. “They had a great game plan. We got away from what we were doing and that let them get back into the game.”