Teddy Bailey
Latest posts by Teddy Bailey (see all)
- Lower Merion, Chester Advance to State Final (Storify) - March 19, 2013
- Chester 55, Great Valley 42: Jefferson, Clippers Advance to State Semifinals - March 16, 2013
- Coatesville 52: J.P. McCaskey 51: Boggs, Red Raiders Upset Tornado - March 9, 2013
- By: CHASE SENIOR, For Philahoops High
B.J. Johnson and LM will face Penncrest on Tuesday. (Teddy Bailey/ Philahoops High)
From the get go it was evident that Lower Merion was the far superior team. The Aces had all the momentum heading into Tuesday’s PIAA AAAA Quarterfinal matchup vs. Great Valley at the Liacouras Center and stayed hot, defeating the Patriots 61-35. From the tip off Lower Merion was the bigger, more talented team and Great Valley didn’t stand a chance.
Yohanny Dalembert got Lower Merion going early. The big man towered over every Patriot defender and Lower Merion built a 26-9 lead midway through the second quarter and the Aces could smell victory before the halftime buzzer even rang.
The Aces pressured the Patriots into bad shots and Great Valley didn’t have enough offensive firepower outside of athletic swingman, Michael Bridges, who led the way for the Great Valley with 16 points.
Lower Merion guard Jaquan Johnson put any hopes of a miraculous Great Valley second half comeback to rest, getting the Aces out on the run and Johnson dialed in for 12 of his 14 total points in the third quarter.
Dalembert finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and four blocks for the Aces and Cory Sherman chipped in with 10 points.
Lower Merion will take on Chester in the PIAA District One Class AAAA Championship on Friday at Villanova.
___
They walk in the gym with swagger every time they lace up the kicks and take the floor. The Clippers have been on national television and caught the eye of avid high school basketball enthusiasts across the country.
Their history is a storied one, with a countless number of Division I prospects putting on the Orange and Black over the years.
On Tuesday night, Chester filed another memorable chapter away by advancing to the PIAA District 1 Class AAAA final game by crushing Abington 76-43 at the Liacouras Center.
Abington fought and hung tough with Chester for the first 16 minutes of the game, but after halftime it was a completely different story and the Clippers showed why they are such a feared team in the Philadelphia area.
Abington jumped out to a 7-0 lead, and built an 11-3 advantage, turning the heads of spectators inside the arena and even caught the Abington fan base by surprise.
Darius Robinson kept Chester in the game with 12 first half points and was able to score at will against Abington in the first half. The Clippers stormed back to take a 22-17 lead and Chester wouldn’t look back from that point on.
Abington’s Matt Penacale was a pleasant surprise in the first half, scoring 11 of his 14 points in the first 16 minutes and his layup at the end of the first half cut the Chester lead to 28-24 at the break.
Chester started to pressure Abington on the defensive end of the floor in the third quarter, implementing a full and half court press and that is what caused the Ghosts to eventually falter.
Chester’s stingy defense caused a countless number of turnovers and the Clippers were able to get out in transition and show their athleticism.
University of Arizona commit Rondae Jefferson was held in check by Agington, but capped off the big swing with a jaw dropping dunk off a steal in the third quarter that got everybody out of their seats. Jefferson was all over the floor, providing the Clippers with a high motor effort and scored 13 points.
Robinson led all scorers with a game high 19 points and center Richard Granberry chipped in with 10 points.
Chester looks to keep the momentum going against Lower Merion on Friday night at Villanova in the PIAA AAAA District 1 Championship.
