Big effort by Lilley, Lower Merion take Reading High down (updated)
Penn State recruit Demetrius Lilley scored 19 second-half points as Lower Merion beat Reading High 61-57 Sunday afternoon at West Chester University in the Play-by-Play Classic.
The Red Knights (11-2) led 29-28 at halftime before the 6-10 Lilley went off, with nine points in the third quarter and nine more in the fourth. The Aces (10-1) pulled ahead 47-42 after three quarters.
The loss snapped Reading’s five-game win streak. It’s only other loss this season came to Devon Prep, 75-71, in the championship game of the Reading Holiday Tournament.
Ruben Rodriguez led Reading with 19 points but scored just four in the second half. Joey Chapman, back in the Reading starting lineup, scored 12 points. Myles Grey went scoreless through three quarters and finished with five points.
Daniel Alcantara scored five points off the bench for the Red Knights, all in the second half. Reading center Xavier Davis scored seven points before fouling out.
Justin Poles scored 16 points for the Aces; Jaylen Shippen had eight.
The Red Knights missed 8-of-16 free throws.
Lower Merion has won nine straight since a 53-43 loss to Parkland Dec. 11.
Lilley, a second-team All-State pick as a junior, committed to Penn State in September.
“I think Demetrius is potentially the best big man in the state,” Aces coach Gregg Downer told cityofbasketballlove.com beore the season. “He is a monster near the rim, a guy who can quite often go 25 points and 15 rebounds. He is just a heck of a player down low.”
Reading High is coming off its second PIAA championship in five seasons. Lower Merion has won seven PIAA titles, most recently in 2013. Only Chester has won more PIAA basketball titles.
The Aces reached the PIAA semifinals last season before falling to Archbiship Wood 72-68. Wood lost in the next round to Reading High, 58-57.
Lilley is among three returning starters, including 6-2 guard Sam Brown and Shippen. Brown started Sunday but left after injuring his ankle early in the game.