Stingy defense made the difference for Lower Merion High School's girls basketball team Tuesday night in a 49-29 win over Garnet Valley at the Kobe B. Bryant Gymnasium.

Seniors Lila Jones and Carli Swartz scored 17 and 12 points, equaling the Jaguars' total output. The Lady Aces led throughout and were never threatened after they ran off 14 points in a row in the first half, establishing a 21-6 lead while repeatedly keeping the Jaguars from penetrating the paint. Garnet Valley never again came closer than a nine-point deficit.

Lower Merion coach Lauren Pellicane was pleased with the performance.

"I think defensively we were really, really good," Pellicane said. "We're working on our matchup zone."

Jones knocked down three three-pointers before reaching halftime with 11 points. The other basket was a layup after Sheba Hall fed her with a long pinpoint pass on a fast break.

Jones made several particularly athletic plays, including one in the fourth quarter where she drove the lane, rose up for a shot fake and rifled a pass to Swartz for an easy inside bucket. She and her teammates also clamped down on defense enough to make their occasional moments of sloppy play harmless. After missing a long three-point attempt with the team up 13 early in the second quarter, Jones retreated on defense and told Pellicane, "My fault."

Pellicane concurred, replying that the shot was "unnecessary." But overall, the coach was impressed.

"She's getting better and better," Pellicane said. "I coached her in AAU, so I'm with her 10 months of the year."

Swartz led the team with eight second-half points. Jessie Porter added six in the contest, and seven Aces scored in all.

Missy Koscinski led the Jaguars with 13 points, 11 of them in the second half. Alaina Bradley added 9.

The Aces enjoyed a height advantage, as the five starters averaged two to three inches taller than their Garnet Valley counterparts.

Players on both teams fouled more shot attempts as the game wore on. Three free throws were attempted in the first half, all by Garnet Valley, but the second half saw 21 attempts. Lower Merion went 8 for 11 from the stripe to Garnet Valley's 3 for 10.