Styles clash for Plymouth Whitemarsh, Lower Merion
WHITEMARSH >> The Plymouth Whitemarsh and Lower Merion boys basketball teams are proof that two different journeys can lead to the same destination.
In this case, that destination is the District One-AAAA semifinals Tuesday night at 6 p.m. at Temple University.
The second-seeded Suburban One League American Conference champion Colonials will take the floor of the Liacourus Center playing full court defense and looking to make plays quickly with the ball on offense, while the No. 11 Aces will take their time and try to shorten the game.
“We’re similar in a lot of ways — in the way we run certain things,” PW coach Jim Donofrio said. “In other ways, we’re a lot different. They are very good at wanting to take the air out of the ball at times and they do that better than anybody around and of course we like to hit another gear if we can. It’s an interesting clashing in that regard, but — everything else — both teams believe in themselves. Both teams believe they deserve to be there and have a lot of tradition behind them. So it makes for a fun game.”
This contest sets up well for PW bench players Ahmad and Ahmin Williams. The two sophomore brothers play tight on-ball defense and can make Lower Merion uncomfortable by getting it out of its slow, time-consuming offense.
“Those guys give us a turbo boost that takes it to another level,” Donofrio said, “and it’s certainly been a key part of what we do to keep pressure on people to hopefully get them to play a little faster than they’d like, kill vision a little better. Those guys are a major key, but every game is different because what we really try to do is look at the tendency of every guard they have and hope we are smart about it. (Lower Merion’s) kids are very fundamental and know how to move the ball too and stay out of trouble. We’re going to do what we do and try to bring high energy to it, but it has to be done with discipline and we’ve got to know all their tendencies.”
The teams know each other very well. They play against each other in the summer and faced in the quarterfinals in the district playoffs last year at Colonial Elementary School, a game PW won, 47-36.
“(Lower Merion) Coach (Gregg) Downer is one of the best around and they are always going to get the most out of their abilities and hurt themselves very little,” Donofrio said. “He gets them to their strengths while minimizing their weaknesses. They’ve evolved all year long and it doesn’t surprise me that he’s gotten them where they are.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh comes into this game after a wild win over No. 7 Central Bucks West, 43-41. Colonials senior guard Oakley Spencer banked home the game-winner with 0.7 seconds left on the clock.
Lower Merion earned a trip to Temple with a 68-45 win over Central League rival No. 14 Conestoga. The Aces jumped out to a 16-0 lead in that game and were led by Noah Fennell (18 points) and Jeremy Horn (17).
Horn could prove to be a matchup nightmare for PW. The senior stands 6-foot-8, two inches taller than Colonials center Mike Lotito, and weighs 235 pounds. He averaged 10.5 points per game this season.
Forward Terrell Jones is the Aces leading scorer, averaging 16.8 points.
Xzavier Malone leads PW in scoring with 19.2 points per game and Lotito averages 10.2.
The winner will face the winner of No. 9 Chester/No. 4 Ridley in the district championship game Friday at 8 p.m. at Temple.
PLAYERS TO WATCH >> Plymouth Whitemarsh’s Mike Lotito, Lower Merion’s Jeremy Horn
No. 5 Pennridge vs. No. 25 Hatboro-Horsham
Fifth-seeded Pennridge will host No. 14 Hatboro-Horsham Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in a District One-AAAA playback game. The winner of this game earns a trip to the AAAA state playoffs and the loser will be eliminated. The winner will face the winner of No. 18 Academy Park/No. 3 Downingtown West Friday for ninth place in the district.
These Suburban One League Continental Conference rivals played twice this season. Pennrige won both games, 55-46 and 52-39.
Pennridge won its first playback game, 61-42, against No. 20 Perkiomen Valley. Hatboro knocked off No. 1 Coatesville, 66-57, in its first playback game.
Dan Long led Pennridge with 19.5 points per game this season. Max Wagner also scored in double figures, averaging 14.1 and Stephen Lowry added 8.8.
Hatboro-Horsham got most of its offensive production this year from Clifton Moore (13.4 points per game), Jay Davis (11.6) and Brian McEachern (8.3).
PLAYERS TO WATCH >> Pennridge’s Dan Long, Hatboro-Horsham’s Clifton Moore
No. 7 C.B. West vs. No. 14 Conestoga
The seventh-seeded Bucks will host No. 14 Conestoga Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in a District One-AAAA playback game. The winner will play Friday night against the No. 17 C.B. East/No. 12 Spring-Ford winner for fifth place in the district. The losers of those two games will play for seventh place Friday.
Each team lost a district quarterfinal game last Friday to get here. Conestoga lost to No. 11 Lower Merion, 68-45, and C.B. West fell to No. 2 Plymouth Whitemarsh, 43-41.
West boasts a very balanced attack, featuring five players who average right around double figures — Billy Power (9.6 points per game), Luke Irons (9.9), Connor Lynch (8.8), Cal Reichwein (8.9) and Eric Hohenleitner (10.7).
Darryl Caldwell leads the Conestoga offense, scoring 17.8 points per game. Andrew Larkin averages 10.7 and MJ Lezanic 9.3.
PLAYERS TO WATCH >> C.B. West’s Billy Power, Conestoga’s Darryl Caldwell
