Girls Basketball: Blair’s mop-up duty on floor shows Haverford’s drive

HAVERFORD — With the seconds ticking away on another Haverford victory, sophomore forward Brianna Blair dove to the ground for one last rebound as if would make a difference. A miniscule detail in a 59-43 win over Upper Darby, but indicative of what this year’s Fords team is all about. Play to the final buzzer, no matter what the scoreboard says. Senior wing Rosie O’Halloran bought into that mindset last year, when she transferred in from Bonner-Prendergast along with junior guard Mollie Reynolds, to play under coach Bridget DiCave. The Fords (11-1) went from Central League cellar dweller to District One playoff qualifier last season. In 2014-15, Haverford finds itself in the middle of a heated race for the top spot in the Central League.

Friday’s blowout over Upper Darby (1-11) is not the measuring stick. The true test begins next week, when the Fords enter the murderer’s row stretch of their Central League schedule: Strath Haven (home), Conestoga (away), Marple Newtown (away) and Garnet Valley (home). Haverford faces Garnet Valley and Conestoga twice each before the end of the year. As the hottest team in Delco, Haverford has reeled off 11 consecutive victories. The success has not been a surprise.

“No, not really,’ said O’Halloran, who netted a team-high 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting. “We’ve been practicing hard since the beginning and I think that playing together last year, even though we lost a lot of seniors, our varsity has been really the same. We play well together and enjoy playing as a team.’ Reynolds, one of the best pure point guards in the county, finished with nine points and five steals. Haverford was in control from the outset and the outcome was never in doubt.

The Fords, impressively, had eight assists on their first eight made baskets.

“They’re a team that runs the floor well,’ second-year UD coach Diamon Beckford said of the Fords, who led by as many as 24 points. “They have a group of kids that play together well and it’s one of those things where it’s hard to key in on one player. It’s pick your poison. You can try to stop No. 14 (Reynolds), she’s the engine that makes them run. Trying to stop her is our main focus, but then you see their other kids start to step.’

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