HAVERFORD, PA – Where to begin . . .
After the horn sounded and Haverford School’s epic 93-90 Inter-Academic League overtime win Friday night over visiting Malvern Prep was official, ecstatic fans flooded the court in celebration.
Meanwhile, instead of triumphant histrionics, the victorious Fords lined up, shook hands, and slowly ambled toward the stairway en route to the locker room.
Fatigued? Yup. Just a bit.
“Everyone was pretty tired after such a fast-paced game like that,” said senior Gavin Burke. “Everyone on the team just gave a tremendous effort to get the win.”
Jameer Nelson scores to tie the game 81-81, sending the Haverford School into overtime with Malvern Prep
Haverford School wins 93-90 (cue the court rush)
The win was nothing new to Haverford School. Now at 17-0 overall, 5-0 in the Inter-Ac, and victors of 16 consecutive league games going back to the 2017 season finale, the defending champion Fords withstood a spirited effort by a potent Malvern Prep team.
In the annals of all-time great high school basketball games, this one ranked high. Really, really high. Consider the following.
Both squads entered 4-0 in the league. The house was packed more than 15 minutes prior to the opening tap. There were 15 fouls called . . . in the first quarter alone. For the game, Malvern shot 20 of 24 from the line; Haverford connected on 18 of 34.
There were 11 lead changes – six by Haverford, five by Malvern. On six different occasions, the score was deadlocked. Malvern led by eight in the first and by eight in the second; Haverford led by five in the third and by seven in the fourth.
It took a missed free throw and a terrific acrobatic bucket by Haverford senior Jameer Nelson off a nifty, under-the-basket feed from sophomore Tyler Seward to tie the score at 81 with less than five seconds remaining in regulation. It was also Nelson who drilled a three-point prayer at the buzzer to end the first quarter.
Finally, in the five-minute overtime, the Fords outscored the Friars (12-6 overall) by 12-9, this despite shooting an abysmal 4 of 13 from the foul line, including misfiring on six of 10 over the final 51 seconds.
Regardless, both teams prevented the crowd from feeling comfortable leaving the gymnasium for even a minute or two.
“Like a college game,” said Haverford School coach Bernie Rogers. “There were so many runs in that game. A couple of times I thought we had them, and then they had us. Back and forth, back and forth.
“Both teams made big shots and big defensive stops to keep the game in reach for both teams all the way down to the overtime.”
Haverford School senior and reigning league MVP Christian Ray finished with 36 points – amazing considering that the 6-foot, 6-inch guard was whistled for his third foul with 1:21 left in the first quarter.
Ray, however, refused to buckle under the pressure. His defense was stellar, and his scoring consistent, not surprising when considering that he was honored before the game for scoring 2,000 career points, including a two-year stint at Interboro High School where he once dropped in 37 points.
“It’s frustrating,” said Ray, who was tweeted for his fourth infraction with 3:43 left in the fourth and his team leading by 74-73. “You want to say something or do something, but you have to keep your head and trust your teammates.”
The LaSalle University-bound Ray netted seven in the first, eight in the second, eight more the third, yet another eight in the fourth, and five in the fourth. His 16 rebounds – none more important than his last, an offensive board with 25.8 seconds remaining in overtime and Haverford gripping a 90-89 edge – led all players.
Later, Ray complimented his opponent and chose his performance as the most special of his stellar career because of the game’s “toughness.”
“I have a lot of respect for the coaches, a lot of respect for the players,” said Ray. “It’s a huge win.”
Haverford School coach Bernie Rogers compliments both his team and Malvern:
Jameel Brown downplays being "only" a freshman after helping the Fords topple Malvern Prep:
Christian Ray reflects on arguably his best performance during a star-studded scholastic career:
Haverford School's Jameer Nelson is thankful to have returned from recent injuries:
(Videos by John Knebels)
Nelson, who lost 14 games to injury before returning to register 11 points against Springside Chestnut Hill Academy on January 15, labeled his evening as “very satisfying.”
Along with scoring 14 points and dishing five assists, Nelson’s six rebounds and four steals helped curb the Friars’ ultra-quick pace.
“We knew it was going to be like this, the way they play,” said Nelson.
“They always speed you up. We were just trying to keep calm. I made a few mistakes. Everybody made mistakes. In the fourth quarter, I was dead tired. You just gotta push through it. We have great hard-working people on the team.”
Defying his youth, Haverford freshman Jameel Brown tallied 15 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks. The pressure of Brown, Seward (11 points, five rebounds, two blocks), Burke (nine points, six rebounds, three assists), and senior Asim Richards (eight points, five rebounds, three blocks) proved pivotal in the second half.
Haverford vs. Malvern - PSD Photos by Dr. Mike Nance & John Knebels
Haverford vs. Malvern - PSD Photos
“It was a great experience,” said Brown. “Everybody is always like, ‘A freshman can’t do this; a freshman can’t do that.’ I was just trying to prove everybody wrong.”
Behind junior Deuce Turner’s 25, sophomore Fran Oschell’s 22, sophomore Rahdir Hicks’ 18, and junior Spencer Cochran’s 17, all but eight of Malvern’s points were scored by underclassmen.
Turner was asked if there was a takeaway message in the defeat.
“We have to close out games,” said Turner, bemoaning the Friars’ inability to seize control after racing to first-quarter leads of 19-11 and 24-17. “We have to take every single possession with the same value and in the end be less careless.”
Although both teams face four different opponents in between, their next meeting is scheduled for 4:00 February 5. Might think about getting your tickets far in advance.
(John Knebels can be reached at Jknebels@gmail.com or on Twitter @johnknebels.)