Chester, Lower Merion prep for Round 2

Will payback be gained? Or will the dominance continue?

At 8 p.m. Saturday, in the marquee matchup of this weekend's hoops fest at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center, familiar foes Lower Merion and Chester will clash for the PIAA Class AAAA boys' basketball championship.

The Aces are out to turn the tables after losing to the Clippers, 61-53, in the District 1 final.

Chester (31-0) arrives in State college seeking its 58th consecutive victory, a perfect season, and its second straight state title.

In the first meeting, Lower Merion (29-3) committed 14 turnovers in the first half, trailed by 10 points at intermission, and, despite a third-quarter surge, never recovered.

Also problematic for Gregg Downer's squad was keeping the Clippers away from the offensive glass.

"We have to be more physical this time," he said. "They got a lot of second-chance points from five feet and in."

Chester has won nine playoff games by an average margin of 29 points. Only Lower Merion kept the final margin under double digits.

"They played a good second half against us," Clippers coach Larry Yarbray said. "They're probably going to try to focus on some of the things they did well in the third quarter."

The Aces are sparked by guards B.J. Johnson and Raheem Hall, and 6-foot-7 center Darryl Reynolds.

While he has been a season-long catalyst, the 6-5 Johnson shot just 2 for 15 from the field in the district final. Redemption, no doubt, will be on the junior's mind.

Chester, which goes 10 players deep, has been fueled by 6-7 swingman Rondae Jefferson, guard Darius Robinson, and 6-4 forward Erikk Wright. Speedy guards Tymier Butler and Shanier Cottman are among the bench catalysts.

The Clippers' Achilles' heel is foul shooting. They shot a dismal 15 for 32 (8 for 20 in the middle two quarters) from the line Wednesday against Central Dauphin.

"If it's a tight game, we're going to knock 'em down," said Jefferson, who was 5 for 10 from the line Wednesday.

The X-factor for Lower Merion could be 6-7 junior Yohanny Dalembert's inside efforts against Jefferson, Wright, and company.

Pick: Downer comes up with a solid plan, but it's not enough. Chester, 66-61.

Class AAA. Neumann-Goretti (27-3) is zeroing in on its third straight crown. In a rematch of last year's final, the Saints will battle District 7's Montour (24-4) at 8 p.m. Friday.

The Spartans, who mix a man-to-man scheme with a 1-3-1 zone, are keyed by 6-4 wing guard Dillon Buechel and 6-3 floor leader Devin Wilson.

Wing guard Ja'Quan Newton (15.7 ppg), and forwards Derrick Stewart and John Davis have paced N-G, a 55-45 winner over Montour last year.

Pick: The Saints continue their big-time roll. N-G, 62-49.

Class AA. Beaver Falls, Imhotep Charter's opponent in Saturday's 2 p.m. final, has won eight playoff games by an average of 23.5 points.

Sheldon Jeter, a 6-8, 210-pound forward and Division I recruit, leads the red-hot Beavers (28-2). Support comes from point guard Drew Cook and 6-2 sophomore Elijah Cottrill.

The Panthers (21-8), powered by 6-6 junior Brandon Austin and 6-2 guard Khyree Wooten, are out for their third title in four seasons.

Pick: Jeter and company deny the repeat bid. Beaver Falls, 51-45.

Class A. In Friday's 2 p.m. contest, Lincoln Park (26-4), last year's runner-up, is going to be hard-pressed to slow Constitution's dynamic duo of Savon Goodman and Daiquan Walker.

The Leopards (26-4) have a quality scorer and shot blocker in Devontae Watson, a 6-11, 210-pound center and Temple recruit.

Pick: The Generals (22-9) overcome a slow start and a rash of turnovers. Constitution, 67-55.