'Incredible Group' of Aces Falls Short of State Championship

Gregg Downer knew the effort, the time and commitment put into this long journey. The Lower Merion boys’ basketball coach knew how special this 2012 group was, and there was no changing his mind. There couldn’t be.

Lower Merion ran into a amazing team Saturday night, an undefeated team that is considered one of the best in the country, and for one half, the Aces gave Chester all it could handle.

In the end, however, Lower Merion fell to mighty Chester, 59-33, Saturday night at Penn State’s Bryce Jordan Center.

The Aces ended an amazing year themselves, finishing 29-4 overall while Chester concluded its season 32-0 and with a 58-game winning streak, the second-longest streak in the country.

“What we wanted to do this year was win three championships, the Central League, the District 1 title and the state championship, and there was one team in our way,” said Downer, whose defensive concoctions kept Chester off balance for the first two quarters. “That was the thing for us, getting by them, and if you want to win the district and state title, the road goes through Chester. That was a barrier we couldn’t get through.”

The Aces had issues solving Chester’s 1-2-2 zone, causing the Aces to look hesitant in the halfcourt game.

The players all sat by their lockers after the game, heads down and despondent. No one felt like talking or reflecting on the many positives that occurred this past season, the loss still holding a terrible taste.

“We saw the 1-2-2 zone and we knew we had to solve it, but we never did solve it,” Downer said. “Ultimately, if there was any team that we were going to have a problem with, with Chester’s size and speed, it was going to be them.”

Lower Merion was outrebounded 47-29 and 24-7 on the offensive boards. Chester held Lower Merion without a basket for 15:39, covering a time frame from late in the first quarter until about midway into the third quarter.

Chester may have shot 38.7 percent, but the Clippers got off 62 shots to Lower Merion’s 37. After shooting 4-for-7 in the first quarter, the Aces were 7 for 30 the remainder of the game.

“This was a great group,” Downer said. “They took us on a great ride, and it was 14 kids that came together and gave us a great effort. This is one of the most incredible group of seniors I’ve ever had and it was fantastic to coach 14 players who were on the same page. It was a real honor to be a part of this, and to coach them.”