Lower Merion Lady Aces Are Ready To Make More History

Back in mid-January, back when the Lady Aces were rolling through their undefeated Central League season, coach Lauren Pellicane had a premonition. “If we can stay healthy, if can consistently play the way we’re capable of playing, I think we have a chance to do a few things this year,” the Lower Merion coach said at the time.

Pellicane believed. It was just a matter of her team, a relatively inexperienced team when it came to the postseason, buying into that belief.

It took a few months, but they have. Senior guard Sheba Hall has emerged as one of the better players in Southeastern Pennsylvania, Lila Jones has become a dangerous scorer, Carli Swartz, Rosie Stahler, Jessie Porter and Carmen Torres have all played big roles defensively, and in making clutch baskets during crucial times in games.

It’s fair to say the Lady Aces believe in themselves now.

Particularly after Lower Merion’s smashing 43-29 victory over Cardinal O’Hara in the PIAA Class AAAA quarterfinals Friday night at Wissahickon High School, when the Lady Aces made school history as the first Lower Merion girls’ basketball team to ever reach the state semifinals. The 25-5 Lady Aces now face another tough task in dethroning two-time defending state champion Mount Lebanon at Chambersburg Area High on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in the state semis.

“People have been doubting us all year,” Jones said. “I think it’s fair to say we probably doubted ourselves the first month of the season. We were still learning about ourselves, but Coach Pellicane kept telling us we could be good. We had to start winning the right way, and it’s something we’ve been doing since the state playoffs began. We were a little down when we lost to [Council Rock North and Downingtown East] in the district playoffs. That got us thinking a little.”

Swartz, who has been a very strong leader and a stalwart defender, said that maybe the two district playoff losses could have been a wake-up call for the Lady Aces.

“I think we needed to take a step back and take a real good look at ourselves,” Swartz said after the O’Hara victory on Friday. “We got together and made sure we got some things right. I think these types of games were always in us. We just had to bring them out.”

Pellicane deserves quite a bit of credit, too. She stayed with this team through injuries (Hall’s constant compartmental syndrome pain, Swartz’ concussion, Torres’ ankle), through playoff inexperience (a poor first half against Council Rock North, when they appeared hesitant, and a no-show against Downingtown East), and team that had just one proven starter back in Hall.

“Coach Pellicane does deserve a lot of credit, because she did stick with us,” Hall said. “She kept believing, and we started believing in ourselves. We might have needed to be pushed a little bit. But we’re here now, one of four teams still playing in the whole state, and I don’t think anyone thought we’d be here.”