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Downer wins 500 as Lower Merion tops Garnet Valley

12/15/2015, 11:15pm EST
By Eugene Rapay

Eugene Rapay (@erapay5)
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There’s no doubt that Lower Merion has a winning tradition.

The Aces boast a rich history that includes 33 league titles, 15 district titles, and seven PIAA state titles, the second-most in of any program in Pennsylvania.

They’ve had quite a few Division I ballplayers come through in that time, like Temple’s Ryan Brooks and Saint Joseph’s Garrett Williamson, or Syracuse/La Salle wing B.J. Johnson.

Oh yeah, and some kid named Kobe Bryant.

“Lower Merion’s the program that you’re trying to beat, everyone knows they’ve got the state championships and the league championships,” Ridley head coach Mike Snyder said. “That game’s always huge.”

Gregg Downer has seen many victories over his 25 years as head coach of the Aces, but Tuesday night’s 72-55 win over Garnet Valley was something special.

As time slowly ticked away from the clock, excitement started to mount up for the fans in attendance. Cheers for Downer from students, parents, alumni, and former players echoed throughout Bryant Gymnasium, as the win seemed more and more apparent.

They all raised up signs bearing the number 500, celebrating a coach who has achieved so much for the program.

Five state finals appearances, three state titles, and now, Downer can add 500 wins to his illustrious coaching resume.

“I’ve been blessed to have a lot of great players and great coaches work for me, I’m very proud to say that I’m the captain of the Lower Merion ship,” he said.

With his family by his side, Downer was swarmed by former players and his current team at mid-court after the game in celebration of his milestone achievement.

“We know how much work these guys put in, they’re the hardest working coaches in the country I think,” senior forward Eli Needle said. “For Downer to get his 500th win, we know the impact he’s had on us and so many before us.”

The Aces improved to 4-1, behind three double-double performances from K.J. Helton, Terrell Jones, and Dion Harris.

Helton, a senior guard, facilitated the offense, dishing out 10 assists. He scored all 13 of his points in the second half alone.

As for junior forwards Jones and Harris, they made their presence felt on both ends of the court. The duo combined for seven blocks.

After scoring a career-high 34 points in the previous game against Shipley, Jones led the team in scoring once again.

“I didn’t let the game come to me at first and then it finally did,” he said. “I missed a couple of layups and then I got back with a putback layup and a couple of dunks.”

Jones found success with his aggressive play attacking the basket. He finished with a game-high 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Meanwhile, Harris added 15 points and matched Jones’ production on the boards.

“I was really pumped for the 500th win,” Harris said. “All around, we were just really all together tonight.”

Garnet Valley, who is now 2-2, saw a strong performance from sophomore guard Austin Laughlin. Laughlin drained five 3-pointers en route to a team-high 17 point game.

Brandon Starr chipped in 13 points, while Carl Tienabeso added another 11 for the Panthers.

Lower Merion grabbed the lead to start, finding early success attacking the basket. Garnet Valley fell quickly behind into double figures but slowly chipped away at the deficit throughout the second quarter.

The Aces held a narrow 33-30 lead going into the half.

Coming out of the half, the game resumed its tight nature. The Panthers eventually tied it up midway through the third quarter at 38.

The Aces responded with back-to-back threes from Helton and junior guard Noah Fennell to reclaim the lead. The Panthers went cold, as the two baskets sparked a 15-4 Lower Merion run to close out the quarter.

From there, the lead was too great for Garnet Valley to overcome.

The Aces coasted to victory in the fourth quarter, a much different result from the last three games, all of which resulted in overtime wins.

“I don’t know if I could have taken another overtime,” Downer said, smiling. “It was a cleaner performance by us.”

The Aces now have Conestoga (3-2) to look forward to. It will be their first road game since a loss in the season opener to Coatesville.

While 500 wins is a big milestone to reach, one that takes much time to achieve, Downer says the celebration won’t last long.

“Only until tomorrow morning,” he said, laughing.


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