PLYMOUTH MEETING — Well, there won’t be a repeat.
Joe Dempsey’s basketball-playing LaSalle Explorers saw to that.
Rather soundly, too.
Controlling the backboards throughout against a cold-shooting Lower Merion side that could not buy a bucket in the opening half, Dempsey’s remarkably efficient Explorers built a formidable halftime lead and cruised to a 71-48 victory in a PIAA Class AAAA quarterfinal Saturday at stuffed Colonial Elementary School.
Up next for Dempsey’s Explorers (22-6), who sidelined Cedar Crest in overtime in Wednesday's second round, is a scuffle in Tuesday night’s semifinals against District 1-AAAA champ Chester at a site and time to be determined.
Chester chewed up West Chester Rustin 66-36 in another quarter.
Shawn Witherspoon and Jalen Herdsman banked 14 points apiece, while Najee Walls checked in with 13 second-half points as LaSalle (22-6) built a 33-12 lead at the break that had the defending state champs wobbling to the locker room.
Shooting 17.4 percent (4-for-23) from the floor — they were much better from the field after the break, but it was too late — didn’t help the Aces either.
Neither did 10th-ranked LaSalle’s commanding 42-22 edge on the glass.
Although Gregg Downer’s eighth-ranked Aces (23-8) were able to creep within 15 points (46-31) late in the third quarter, they never could draw closer.
Justin McFadden and Jule Brown posted 16 points apiece for Lower Merion, which defeated Chester in last March’s Class AAAA title game. Downer’s Aces also picked up 11 points from JaQuan Johnson — all in the second half.
PIVOTAL SEQUENCE
Tied 2-2 just 1:20 in, LaSalle didn’t waste any time cranking up its attack as Dempsey’s Explorers uncorked a 20-3 salvo that had the District 12-AAAA third seed in front by a 22-5 margin early in the second quarter.
Able to kick the ball inside in its half-court sets or beat defenders off the dribble and get to the rack — LaSalle even tossed in a timely 3-ball — everything the Explorers wanted to flash offensively seemed to work splendidly.
Five of Dempsey’s players scored during their impressive early spurt — Sean Greenberg netted five points, Shane Stark, David Krmpotich and Witherspoon added four each and Herdsman added three — as the Explorers had Lower Merion in loads of trouble with 6:38 still remaining in the opening half.
Although the Aces were able to maintain, two late Witherspoon hoops had Dempsey’s outfit bouncing into the lockers up 21 (33-12).
And even when Lower Merion had worked its deficit to 15 points (46-31) on Johnson’s flashy drive with 1:04 left in the third, Walls was able to get into the paint after LaSalle navigated the Aces’ pressure and cause all sorts of problems.
One dish went to Greenberg making a baseline cut. Then, with just 0.8 seconds to play in the third, Walls’ behind-the-back dish to Herdsman for a finish and freebie enabled the Explorers to take a 51-31 lead into the fourth quarter.
Lower Merion twice shaved LaSalle’s lead to 19, but that’s as close as Downer’s troubled Aces were able to get as hopes of a repeat were quickly doused.
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REVIEWING THE NUMBERS
While LaSalle targeted 56.3 percent (27-for-48) of its total field-goal attempts, Dempsey’s club shot 50 percent (15-for-30) in the first half and 66.7 percent (12-for-18) after the break. … LaSalle attempted just four treys, making one. …
The Explorers totaled 23 looks at the free-throw line, canning 16. LaSalle was effective at the stripe late as Lower Merion tried to extend the game by fouling, knocking down 10 of its 15 freebies in the final quarter. … LaSalle committed nine turnovers, two more than Downer’s Aces. …
Herdsman added a game-high 10 rebounds for LaSalle, while Krmpotich snared seven boards and Witherspoon grabbed six. … Walls dished out four assists. …
Despite its horrific first half from the floor, Lower Merion wound up bagging 38.8 percent (19-for-49) of its field-goal attempts. … The Aces canned just two of their 18 treys, but were 0-for-11 before the break from deep. … Lower Merion was 8-for-15 at the free-throw line, but just 4-for-9 after halftime. …
McFadden and Brown each grabbed five rebounds for Lower Merion. … Johnson dished out a pair of assists.
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