Posted on 29 January 2014 by bcookpa.
The Lower Merion High School boys’ basketball team has experienced its share of heartbreaking defeats early in the season dropping four of its first five games. In three of those contests Lower Merion was unable to maintain a fourth quarter lead.
On Tuesday night, the Aces once again found themselves in that same position holding a tenuous 50-49 lead midway through the fourth quarter against a Conestoga team that occupied the top spot in the Central League.
Using the lessons they have learned throughout the year, Lower Merion was able to fend off a young, talented Conestoga team 60-57 to force a tie atop the Central League standings.
“This is a great win,’ said Lower Merion senior Justin McFadden, who finished with a team-high 14 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and one steal. “Anytime you play the first-place team you want to get up for the game. Right before the New Year we had a team meeting and talked about bringing up the intensity.’
The win by Lower Merion was its ninth in 10 games with the only blemish coming in a 62-59 overtime loss to perennial power New Castle on January 18.
Entering the season with players learning new roles combined with the fact of replacing 10 seniors from last year’s team including Division I players Yohanny Dalembert and BJ Johnson, Downer was unsure of what direction the team would go.
To view the rest of the article please visit:http://www.gametimepa.com/mont-bucks/ci_25017321/boys-basketball-lower-merion-aces-big-test-against
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Posted in Game Preview/Recap
Posted on 27 January 2014 by bcookpa.
Lower Merion High School boys’ basketball coach Gregg Downer, who has won three PIAA Class AAAA state titles during his time with the Aces, was the winner among the six finalists in USA Today High School Sports’ “Best Coach in PA” poll (boys’ basketball).
Lower Merion High School athletic director Don Walsh said, “Coach Downer is incredibly deserving of this honor and we’re thrilled he has been recognized. He means so much to our school and this community – not just for basketball wins, but for the lasting, positive impact he has had on so many students throughout the years. His greatest work happens behind the scenes, molding the young men he encounters into upstanding citizens no matter their background. He is a true champion for our community.”
USA Today’s High School Sports “Best Coach in the Mid-East Region” (Md. N.J., Del, Pa., W.Va., D.C., Va.) To vote in this poll, click here.
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Posted in Game/Team Tradition
Posted on 27 January 2014 by bcookpa.
The Lower Merion High School boys’ basketball team downed neighbor Harriton, 79-70, Friday eveing at a packed Bryant Gymnasium, getting double-figure scoring from six players.
To read more, click here.
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Posted in Game Preview/Recap
Posted on 27 January 2014 by bcookpa.
Lower Merion High School jumper Brianna Conner is the Main Line Girls Athlete of the Week for the Main Line Times/Main Line Suburban Life issue of Jan. 26.
To read the article and video, click here.
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Posted in Athlete Profile
Posted on 15 January 2014 by bcookpa.
Scharf, a goalie for the improving Lower Merion ice hockey club, is no stranger to the goalie position — she also holds down the position for the Lower Merion girls’ lacrosse and field hockey teams. She posted the first shutout in program history against Radnor Dec. 13, and her save percentage is above .850, which LM coach Dave Herman said, “is pretty impressive for the amount of shots she sees. She’s an impressive athlete who just learned to skate last year.’ Scharf, a junior at Lower Merion High School, was part of the Philly team that captured lacrosse gold at the JCC Maccabi Games in 2012.She also participates in Lower Merion A Capella and Best Buddies.
Main Line Media News: Can you briefly describe the biggest save you have made this season – how the play developed, and your role in it?
Devon Scharf: We were playing Haverford late on a Friday night, and we were in the middle of a shift so all of my offense was changing and it was left to just me and my defense. Haverford’s offense recognized the lack of players due to our shift, so they raced down the ice attempting to beat us down there. The puck started high slot and was then passed down to the middle of the right dot. My angle was off, so the Haverford wing recognized this and shot the puck to the opposite side of the cage. I threw my glove at it at the last second, and caught it moments before it would have gone into the net.
To see the rest of the story go to: http://www.gametimepa.com/ci_24869446/ice-hockey-lower-merion-goalie-devon-scharf-is?IADID=Search-www.gametimepa.com-www.gametimepa.com
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Posted in Athlete Profile
Posted on 13 January 2014 by bcookpa.
It wasn’t a masterpiece, but the Aces got the job done on Saturday night, knocking off red-hot Upper Darby 65-63 for their fourth straight victory. Justin McFadden ’14 had a huge night, scoring a career-high 27 points and collecting a team-high eight rebounds, including two big ones down the stretch to help thwart a late Royals comeback. Steve Pendleton ’15 (11 points), JaQuan Johnson ’14 (11 points), Jule Brown ’15 (8 points) and Corey Sherman ’15 (8 points) rounded out the Aces attack.
After falling behind 11-4 in the early going, the Aces narrowed the gap to 19-16 by the end of the first quarter. The Aces and Royals traded buckets at the start of a fast-paced second frame, before a Johnson trey and McFadden layup knotted the game at 30-30. LM took its first lead with 2:14 left to play in the half, going up 35-34 on a McFadden bonus free throw. Eli Needle ’16 took a textbook charge in the closing seconds of the quarter, setting up a final Aces score. LM led 37-34 at the break.
LM maintained a small advantage throughout the third, and capped the quarter with a sterling possession where they ran nearly two minutes off the clock before a driving McFadden layup at the buzzer. LM led 50-44 after three and appeared poised to seize control of the game.
But the Royals – who entered the game 10-1 and tied atop the Central League standings — wouldn’t go down easily. A 10-4 Upper Darby run over the next four minutes tied the game at 54-54 and forced an LM timeout. On the ensuing possession, Pendleton found a seam in the Upper Darby defense and attacked the rim for a layup. McFadden then stole the ball near half court, hit a driving layup and was fouled and converted the free throw for a three-point play. Two defensive stops and one more McFadden basket later, the Aces led 63-54 with less than a minute to play. But the game was still far from over.
The Royals connected on two straight long threes and had a chance to pull within one at the line with 35 seconds to play. But both free throws missed the mark and McFadden collected the rebound on the second shot. The Aces called time-out to set up an in-bounds play and found Johnson, who was fouled in the backcourt and calmly sank two free throws to give the Aces a 65-60 lead. The Royals converted a layup with less than 10 seconds to play to draw within three. After LM missed the front end of a one-and-one, the Royals had one more opportunity. But LM took a foul to force Upper Darby to the line for two, down three with four seconds to play. The Royals made the first, and missed the second intentionally, but another tough McFadden rebound and an expiring clock sealed the final outcome.
There have certainly been wins of greater magnitude in recent years, but Saturday’s outcome felt huge for an Aces team eager to stake its claim as a league contender after a tough opening month. The Maroon & White have been slowly chipping away in recent weeks. On Saturday, they added a much-needed milestone to their season resume – a gritty home victory over a high-quality ballclub.
LM returns to action Tuesday night at Garnet Valley. Tip-off is 7 PM.
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Posted in Game Preview/Recap
Posted on 13 January 2014 by bcookpa.
Corey Sherman ’15 scored a career-high 20 points and Justin McFadden ‘14 added 15 points and 12 rebounds to the lead the Aces to a 75-49 win over Strath Haven on Friday night. It was LM’s third straight victory and the second straight game in which every active member of the roster saw action. A total of 11 players entered the scoring column.
The Aces set the tone early, outscoring the Panthers 22-11 in the first quarter, capped by a Jule Brown ’15 layup off a perfect full-court pass from McFadden just before the buzzer. LM led 36-22 at halftime and held a 54-33 advantage mid-way through the third quarter after Sherman’s fifth trey of the night. The Aces led by as many as 27 and played much of the second half with their starters on the bench.
LM drilled a season-high 11 three-pointers, with six players connecting from beyond the arc – including Terrell Jones ’17, who notched his first career triple late in the fourth quarter. Fan favorite Jeremy Horn ’16 delivered a parting gift to an energized Dawg Pound, scoring his first career points on a pretty layup as the final buzzer sounded.
Friday marked the first Central League home game of the year for the Aces, who spent much of the first month of the season on the road. LM plays 8 of its next 10 games in the Kobe Bryant Gymnasium, including a key match-up with Central League leader Upper Darby Saturday night at 7 PM.
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