Lower Merion runs over young West Chester Rustin in opener

WESTTOWN >> West Chester Rustin boys basketball coach Keith Cochran has always tested his squad by playing the best teams in District 1 and beyond, even on opening night.

In the long run, that plan is probably the right one for his team’s growth. Friday night, however, it didn’t go too well.

Rustin opened its season against perennial Class 6A powerhouse Lower Merion, and the young Rustin squad turned the ball over 29 times, got behind early and lost to the Aces, 74-42, showing Cochran there is a lot of work to do.

Lower Merion played ferocious defense as the Aces harassed the Golden Knights all the way up court, and the Golden Knights did not respond well to the relentless pressure. Rustin also shot a frigid 15 for 51 from the field and it all added up to the lopsided loss.

“I saw some things I liked tonight but I also saw a lot I did not like,” Cochran said. “We turned the ball over too many times but for a lot of these guys it was their first varsity game. But that is what we do at Rustin. We throw them in the fire until they compete and they will learn to compete.”

Lower Merion bolted out to a 40-28 halftime lead on the strength of Steve Payne and Jack Forrest, who both had big nights. Payne led Lower Merion with 26 points while Forrest chipped in with 16. Jake Nelson was a solo act for the Golden Knights (0-1) as the junior center totaled 24 points and 12 rebounds but got little help from his teammates. Rustin shot eight for 24 in the opening half compared to the Aces’ 15 for 28, and only Nelson’s play kept the Golden Knights within shouting distance.

With a 12-point halftime lead, Lower Merion decided to pour it on in the third. The Aces used a 15-0 run to put the game out of reach and Rustin went the final 4:34 of the period without scoring a point. The Golden Knights were outscored 18-6 in the third, and scored only 14 points in the second half.

With the score 45-34, Payne scored in tight off a Rustin turnover to start the run. After a Bryce Barrouk miss, Jared Robinson scored in the lane. Another Golden Knights turnover led to a Payne 3-pointer to make it a 51-34 game. Rustin could not get the ball past midcourt the next time up the floor and Forrest took the turnover and went strong to the hole for a 53-34 lead. Rustin did get the ball up the floor the next time, but a Nelson miss landed in Forrest’s hands, and he fed Payne, who hit a long 3-pointer at the buzzer for a 58-34 Lower Merion lead after three.

“I have a lot more confidence in my shot this year,” Payne said. “Last year I did not shoot well and I worked all summer on my shot, and our defense tries to tire teams out and i think that is what happened to them in the third period.”

Lower Merion shot seven for 11 in the decisive third period and the Aces went 29 for 50 on the night. The fourth period saw both coaches clear their benches, and a bright spot for Rustin was Bryce Pew, who scored eight points, six in the fourth. But the damage had already been done and now Rustin has a week off until it plays Kennett Thursday night while the Aces travel to Chester Saturday night.

“We played them the first game last year and it went into overtime,” Lower Merion coach Gregg Downer said. “We knew Jake Nelson was a very good player and we just run eight and nine guys at you and try to make things chaotic for the other team and I was very happy we were able to turn them over 29 times.”