Cardinal O'Hara holds off Haverford

Chris Duffin didn't seem fazed. Instead, he said he felt prepared.

As he toed the foul line with 16 seconds left in regulation and a chance to ice the game, the Cardinal O'Hara guard had to overcome a slight distraction.

"Don't miss it," shouted the Haverford fans assembled under the basket as they added groans.

O'Hara was the home team, but for a moment it seemed they were in foreign territory.

Duffin obliged the Fords fans' request, knocking down the two foul shots, and O'Hara held on to win, 56-53, Saturday in a nonleague game between Delaware County rivals.

"I'm not just thinking about them. I'm focused on making the shots," said Duffin, who said the situation was similar to a home game against Monsignor Bonner earlier this month.

Duffin hit 7 of his 8 foul shots in the fourth quarter, disappointing the hecklers but giving ease to his coach, Tim Kelly.

The Lions opened the fourth quarter by missing the front end of consecutive one-and-one free-throw opportunities, and their 10-point lead quickly dwindled to two. They ended the period by knocking down 13 of their last 16 from the line.

"Earlier in the season, we struggled from the foul line, so I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous," Kelly said. "But lately, we've been shooting better.

Haverford rallied back behind two three-pointers and aggressive inside play by senior Kevin Gladstone.

The forward finished with a game-high 15 points, including seven in the fourth quarter.

Gladstone cut the lead to 45-43 with 2 minutes, 16 seconds remaining. On the next possession, his short jumper was swatted away by O'Hara's Ed Allen.

The 6-foot-5 senior center finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks.

"It felt good," Allen said. "I knew we had to get a stop, and that block was crucial."

In the third quarter, Allen demonstrated his versatility, as he swiftly made a backdoor cut to become open underneath for an easy layin.

Allen said his ability to move without the ball opens up the floor and creates opportunities for other players.

A few possessions later, he grabbed an offensive rebound and went strong on a putback.

"We're a very guard-heavy team," Kelly said. "So having him be aggressive on the low post really keeps defenses honest."

The schools are separated by less than five miles in Delaware County, and Duffin said he's familiar with most of the Haverford players.

"Whenever you're playing a local school, it means a lot for bragging rights," Kelly said. "It's good to show we're competitive in the area."

Haverford High   512927-53

Cardinal O'Hara   5121920-56

HH: Gabe Armando 2, Matt Donnelly 3, Ed Durkin 3, Mike Gentile 4, Kevin Gladstone 15, Miles Mansell 5, Pat Morgan 12, Mike O'Halloran 9.

CO: Ed Allen 12, Lamar Crenshaw 2, Chris Duffin 7, Pat Hagenbach 2, Ray Harris 2, Sean Havink 9, Mike Louden 14, Kareem Walker 8.