Haverford High School’s (25) Rian Dotsey with the basket in the first half against Abington in PIAA District 1 playoffs Wednesday night at Juenger Gymnasium. (PETE BANNAN-DAILY TIMES)
By Matt Smith
Rian Dotsey’s excellent first quarter was exactly what No. 4 Haverford needed in Wednesday’s District 1 Class 6A second-round game.
Dotsey scored 15 points in an amazing opening stanza. The junior forward finished with a career-high 27 points as the Fords cruised to a 54-30 win over 13th-seeded Abington.
“It felt good to start off strong,” said Dotsey, who shot 6-for-8 from the field in the first quarter, including 3-for-3 from 3-point distance. “That carried me throughout the game, so that was good. I felt like I was able to be versatile and play on the outside as well as inside the paint. And hopefully open things up for my teammates.”
Haverford clinched a berth in next month’s PIAA tournament. It’s the third year in a row the Fords have qualified for the state playoffs. They host No. 5 North Penn in the district quarterfinals Saturday at 2:30.
Dotsey had help from senior forward Natalie Wright, who provided six points in Haverford’s 21-10 run in the first quarter.
Haverford had a substantial height advantage over the Galloping Ghosts (19-7). Wright ended 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Dotsey added 12 rebounds and two blocked shots. The Fords’ bigs imposed their will.
(click on this link for the full article, subscription may be required)