Norristown plays together, tops Lower Merion

WARMINSTER >> Norristown’s boys basketball team has big goals for this season.

A senior-heavy group, the Eagles were a state playoff team a year ago but believe they can do a lot more this winter. There’s no star player, but they all know how to play team basketball and winning takes priority over everything else.

Saturday, the Eagles showed why they have such ambitions by topping Lower Merion 71-61 as part of Archbishop Wood’s Diane Mosco Foundation showcase.

“First thing, credit the other team, they played very well but for us, we played like ‘Town ball always does, which is family first,” senior guard Xavier Edwards said. “We play as a team and we win as a team. There’s no individuals on our team and we played together.”

The Aces were shorthanded with senior sharpshooter Jack Forrest, a Columbia recruit, sidelined with an ankle sprain that could have him out 6-8 weeks. Senior guard Steve Payne more than picked up the slack, tallying a game-high 30 points as he tried to will Lower Merion back in the second half.

Edwards led Norristown with 17 points, adding five rebounds and three assists as he’s continued to enjoy a homecoming of sorts. A Norristown native, Edwards was a varsity player at Norristown during his sophomore season but spent last year with his aunt in Cameron, North Carolina.

“I just thought it was time to move back here and come home,” Edwards said. “It took the summer to get back with everybody. I grew up around here, I grew up playing with these guys so I just got back to it.”

Norristown had five players reach double-figure scoring and they assisted on 18 of their 27 field goals. In an entertaining first quarter that saw both sides trade bucker after bucket, the Eagles were keyed by the steady hand of senior Tyler Lyons.

Lyons, who finished with 11 points, dished six of his eight assists in the first quarter and had a hand in all but one of Norristown’s first seven baskets.

“I felt like we shared the ball, we were unselfish and we played great defense,” Lyons said. “We just had to swing the ball around the horn and find open shots. My guys were just knocking them down.”

Payne had 12 points at the half to lead Lower Merion, which took a 32-30 lead into the break thanks to a Josh Martin putback right before the horn. Norristown got a lift in the second quarter from sophomore Nazir Kinney, who netted four of his 11 in the frame and sophomore Aaron Reddish, who hit a late 3-pointer to tie the game 30-30.

The Eagles start four seniors and one sophomore and their first two guys off the bench Saturday were sophomores.

“The sophomores have been stepping up big for us,” Lyons said of a Norristown team that’s won three straight after dropping its opener to Plymouth Whitemarsh. “They gave us the spark that we needed.”

Much like the first half, the third quarter started with both teams exchanging some makes with Payne notching the score 38-38 midway through the frame. From there, the Eagles ripped off the next nine points to finally put some separation between the two.

Reddish started the run with a three, Mickeel Allen scored inside, then Reddish had a steal and athletic dunk followed by Edwards getting a steal and layup to put Norrsitown ahead 47-38.

“We all grew up together playing together outside of school, so it’s nothing different,” Edwards said. “We just have to play together as a team and execute the plays the coaches give us.”

Much like they’re a collective on offense, the Eagles believe the same thing applies to the defensive end. Edwards said the more they talk and the more they help each other out, the better they are.

While Norristown stayed true to its team-oriented style, the forced Lower Merion to rely almost exclusively on Payne’s efforts. The senior was up for it, just willing his way into the lane for tough layup after tough layup, but the Eagles kept coming up with answers.

“It’s pretty easy for us,” Edwards said. “We are all a brotherhood. We care about each other, we don’t care about who’s taking the shot, we care about winning.”

Both Edwards and Lyons weren’t shy admitting they want big things for this team.

“I want to get to Temple and win,” Lyons said of the District I championship.

“I think we can compete for the state, that’s our goal, to be the No. 1 team in the state,” Edwards said. “We want to put the ‘Town back on the map.”

NORRISTOWN 21 9 19 22 – 71

LOWER MERION 20 12 10 19 – 61

N: Marcus Sanford 2 0-0 5, Tyler Lyons 4 1-2 11, Aaron Reddish 4 2-4 13, Xavier Edwards 5 6-7 17, Mickeel Allen 4 2-2 10, Nazier Kinney 5 0-0 11, Willie Anderson 2 0-0 4. Totals: 27 11-15 71

LM: Steve Payne 12 5-7 30, Darryl Taylor 5 2-4 12, Matt O’Connor 3 2-3 11, Theo Henry 1 0-2 2, Josh Martin 1 1-2 3, Julian Hairston 1 1-2 3. Totals: 23 11-20 61

3-pointers: N – Reddish 3, Lyons 2, Sanford, Kinney, Edwards; LM – O’Connor 3, Payne.