By Eddie Levin
There are no guarantees in the first round of the district playoffs, and nobody no knows that better than Lower Merion senior guard Terrell Jones.
“I told the guys we have to focus on our first round game [against Central Bucks South] before we can look ahead [to the second round],” said Jones. “There are no guarantees. My sophomore year we won our opening round game by one point; my junior year we won by two points.”
When Jones and the rest of his Lower Merion teammates, seeded 10th, took the court Friday night against the 24th seeded Titans in the opening round of the inaugural PIAA District One Class 6A playoffs, the Aces raced out to a 40-24 halftime lead before holding on for the 70-57 win before a packed house at Bryant Gymnasium.
With the win, 10th seeded Lower Merion advances to the second round, where they will face No. 7 seed Conestoga at Conestoga Tuesday at 7 p.m.
“It was huge,” said Lower Merion coach Gregg Downer, referring to the way his seniors helped Lower Merion jump out to an early lead. “Even the 40-24 halftime lead felt like a good cushion. The second half got a little choppy but the first round game is often a nerve wracking game and all you are doing is trying to live another day.”
Lower Merion sophomore guard Darryl Taylor added, “The seniors told us it could be our last game, so we just had to focus on tonight and not look ahead. They came out real intense and that was big for us. It took some of the pressure off and allowed us to relax and play ball.”
Not only did the Aces make a statement on the court Friday evening, they also made a statement off the court regarding their pre-game actions in Tuesday’s Central League championship game.
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