Tess Durfee excelling off the bench for Haverford

HAVERFORD – When Tess Durfee is called into action, she makes every second count.

As Haverford’s unsung hero, the senior is the embodiment of what is known in basketball parlance as “the sixth man.” Few players in District 1 have done it better than Durfee this season.

If there’s a rebound to be grabbed, Durfee attacks it with ferocity. If there’s a loose ball to be covered, rest assured Durfee will dive on the floor, throwing caution to the wind. She is an excellent passer and rebounder but her hallmark attribute is lockdown defense. And if needed to score every now and then, she’ll oblige.

Indeed, Durfee does many things that do not appear in a basketball scorebook. She brings energy, oftentimes arousing the loudest cheers with her positive play at critical junctures during the Fords’ home playoff games. Durfee was a difference maker again Wednesday, helping Haverford to a 53-42 victory over Central Bucks East in a District 1 Class 6A playback.

Durfee faceguarded C.B. East sniper Anna Barry, who seemed to have her way when Durfee was not on the floor. Barry accounted for four of the Patriots’ 11 3-point shots and finished with 18 points.

“I knew that I had to stay with her because of how well she can shoot,” Durfee said. “I had to focus on my defense and just staying with her. That’s probably the most important thing.”

Durfee provided a big boost in the fourth quarter when the Fords’ lead was slipping away. Rian Dotsey was the finisher on the offensive end, converting a pair of three-point plays after C.B. East trimmed its deficit to 44-42 with two minutes to go. The junior forward Dotsey led the way with 20 points.

But the Fords may have lost what had been a 15-point cushion had Durfee not been in the game during the last stretch run. She used her head, quite literally, in the final moments when a pass by a Patriots player clanked off her dome, enabling Haverford to get a key steal.

“Tess is that spark off the bench that we need all the time,” senior guard Aniya Eberhart said. “She comes in and hustles on the floor and dives for balls and gets on the other team’s best players. It’s really helpful to have somebody like that to get the spark going if we fall into a slump.”

Durfee has come a long way with the program. She was a freshman during the pandemic shortened 2021 season, then missed the entirety of her sophomore year due to injury. As a junior she spent the majority of her time on the JV squad and saw very limited action on the big club.

But there were jobs to be won this season. The Fords graduated three starters – Caroline Dotsey, Mollie Carpenter and Sky Newman – from the 2022-23 team that made school history and played for a District 1 championship. Durfee was more motivated than ever to prove that she belonged. And didn’t care if that meant taking a spot in the starting five or being the first person off the bench.

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Haverford's (13) Tess Durfee looks to pass during the Central League championship game Feb. 15. (PETE BANNAN-DAILY TIMES)