Lower Merion Girls Are Headed To The State Quarterfinals

There seems to be a magic in the air when March comes around. It doesn’t matter what level of basketball is being played, somehow, somewhere, some team will do something it’s not supposed to do, perform beyond expectations, and beat a team it’s not supposed to beat.

They are rarities, emerald nuggets that are often keepsakes for any player or coach that is involved in those miracles.

The Lower Merion Lady Aces received such a keepsake Tuesday night, when they upset District 3 champion Red Lion, 44-38, in the second round of the PIAA Class AAAA state playoffs at Coatesville High School, advancing to the Elite Eight in the state for just the second time in school history.

Lower Merion (24-5) defeated a team that entered the game 27-1. The Lady Aces handed them their second loss of the season—ending it. Now Lower Merion will advance to the state quarterfinals to play Cardinal O'Hara, which Philly.com reported beat Council Rock North 40-21 Tuesday night.

Two years ago the Lady Aces reached the state quarterfinals and lost to O’Hara.

On Tuesday night, Lila Jones led the way for Lower Merion, scoring a team-high 11 points, with eight points coming from Sheba Hall, and stellar defense provided by Hall, Carli Swartz, Rosie Stahler, Jessie Porter, and Carmen Torres (playing on a bad right ankle), and some clutch shooting from Tessa Wade.

Lower Merion’s game was impressive. Emphatic. And during some segments, dominant, over a team that previously lost just once. The Aces led from start to finish, up at one time by 18-9 early in the second quarter.

“What I love is when everyone doubts us, and everyone doubted us about this game,” Jones said. “We weren’t only out to prove those people wrong, but we had to prove something to ourselves that we were able to do it.”

Jones was coming off an unusual scoreless game in the Lady Aces’ first-round victory over Liberty on Friday and felt she had some making-up to do.

“I did,” she said. “I had to make up for last game and this game. This is a great personal accomplishment for me. I had to leave it all out on the court.”

Hall has been superlative throughout the postseason. She’s been bravely battling the compartmental syndrome in her legs, which hampers her play, yet at even 80 percent, she appears to be the best player on the court. Again, she fought through the pain to make a key steal with less than 15 seconds to play and Lower Merion clinging to a 42-38 lead. Hall’s steal made it possible for Jones to convert two free throws in the final 14.2 and seal the victory.

“I think as a team, this is the best we’ve played this year,” Hall said. “We started to panic at times, and that’s [Red Lion’s] game, forcing turnovers off of pressure, but we calmed down when we had to and played through it. I think that’s what I liked most about tonight. We struggled and responded back well. I’m still hurting but the pain doesn’t feel that bad, especially after winning a game like this.”

March upsets are always a perfect panacea.