Haverford School’s Jameer Nelson Jr., here trying to get a shot up against Phelps School’s Derrell Jones in Friday’s PAISAA semifinal, scored 17 points Saturday to lead the Fords to a 67-62 win over Westtown School and their first PAISAA championship. (Owen McCue/Digital First Media)
By Matthew DeGeorge
Trailing for nearly the entire 32 minutes of regulation in the PAISAA boys basketball championship final against tall and talented Westtown, Haverford School came back for a 67-62 overtime win in its final test of the season Saturday evening in front of a packed house at Jefferson University.
The win completes a 28-0 season for the Fords, their first PAISAA title to add to consecutive Inter-Ac crowns.
Westtown relied on solid rebounding and the offensive talents of Jalen Gaffney (27 points) to forge a 34-27 lead at halftime. Late in the third quarter, the Moose still enjoyed a 45-35 advantage.
But the Fords slowly came back, as La Salle University-bound Christian Ray began to take over. When Ray grabbed back-to-back offensive rebounds and scored on a putback to cut Westtown’s lead to 52-50, there were four minutes left. Jameer Nelson’s end-to-end drive and free throw made it 54-53 with 3:03 left.
Twenty one seconds later, another putback by Ray gave the Fords a 55-54 lead — their first lead since early in the first period.