Abington saw its season come to an end at the hands of District One 6A champion Lower Merion on Sunday at Bensalem.
#1-1 LOWER MERION 63, #1-8 ABINGTON 50
The numbers suggested Abington could be in for a long afternoon on Sunday at Bensalem when the Ghosts faced the 2022 District One 6A champions in a PIAA 6A second round game. After all, the Aces put a 60-28 beating on the Ghosts in a district quarterfinal game 16 short days ago.
“The last time we just came out flat,” Abington senior Connor Fields said. “We kind of felt disrespected by how they beat us last time. We’re definitely a much better team than we showed.
“We felt ashamed of ourselves. We just wanted to show everyone that we could stick with the best. We were just ready when we came in today.”
And it was a much different story this time around.
The Ghosts kept it close and trailed by just six early in the fourth quarter after Derrius Lucas connected on both ends of a one-and-one (40-34). The game got away from the Ghosts when they were forced to foul, but no one was hanging their head after Sunday’s showing.
“I’m super proud of this group,” Abington coach Charles Grasty said. “I just told them – ‘We’re Abington, we’re not one for moral victories, but it’s not the same story.’
“We were on the outside looking in (on the District One 6A Tournament). We knew we had to win some games, they buckled down, they put in the hard work, so we’re definitely proud of these guys.”
The Ghosts, who trailed 13-9 after one quarter, found themselves on the short end of a 25-21 score at halftime. Fields accounted for nine of his team’s points. The game was a far cry from the initial meeting between the two teams that saw the Aces jump out to a 22-8 lead after one quarter and a 42-12 advantage by halftime.
The difference this time around?
“Just the fight,” Fields said. “We don’t really care about rankings and stats. We just want to show we’re a better team.
“And we have more fight than everyone else on the court with us. This (postseason) was really special and I’m happy with my teammates and how hard we fought.”
The Ghosts still trailed by just four after Fhenyx Scutt scored on a drive with three minutes remaining in the third quarter. A baseline three by Sam Brown upped the Aces’ lead to seven, and they extended that lead to 40-29 when Jaylen Shippen scored on a drive
“The third quarter we missed some rotations, and they made us pay,” Grasty said. “They’re a good shooting team.
“Their big kid (Demetrius Lilley) got loose on the baseline and they converted. We came down and took some tough shots. We missed those tough shots, and they were able to convert, and then we had to chase.”
And chase they did.
Derrius Lucas sank the first of two foul shots, and sophomore Jeremiah Lee followed his miss on the second to make it a 40-32 game after three quarters. It was 40-34 after Lucas buried a pair at the foul line to open the fourth quarter.
The Aces responded and opened up a 50-36 advantage. The Ghosts would get no closer than 11 the rest of the way.
Grasty attributed the difference in the second meeting between the two squads to confidence.
“Our guys trusted their hard work,” the Ghosts’ coach said. “We know that they’re a good team, but so are we. We just try to instill the confidence.
“We prepared and tried to put them in a position to make plays. They made some plays. At this level, kids see the ball go through the basket here and there – they get some confidence, and they compete.”
Three Abington players finished in double figures – Fields (who connected on 5-of-8 shots) and Lucas led the way with 11 points each and Lee added 10. Scutt and Kayjel Morris both had seven points. Lee led the Ghosts under the boards with nine rebounds while Fields and Lucas both had six rebounds. Fields drew a pair of charges in a game that featured six offensive charges.
Scutt and Jimmy Marino both had four assists to lead the Ghosts, who had only eight turnovers but managed just three steals.
Grasty had high praise for his seniors who played their final game for the program.
“They left a decent legacy behind,” the Ghosts’ coach said. “We want Abington to be going in the right direction, and I think that’s the way they left it, and that’s all we ask of them.
“They gave everything they had. We’re not disappointed. Of course, we’re sad that the season ended because these guys are great to be around. We’re not sad, we’re not mad at any of our guys. We just wanted to be around them a little longer like everyone else this time of year.”
The Ghosts shot 18-for-49 from the floor (36.7 percent) and 6-for-25 from three (24 percent). The Ghosts had 27 rebounds against a strong Aces squad.
Abington closed out its season with a 17-12 record after a 9-8 start. They were 11-5 in league play.
Abington 9-12-11-18 50
Lower Merion 13-12-15-23 63
Abington (50) – Connor Fields 5 0-1 11; Fhenyx Scutt 3 0-1 7; Jeremiah Lee 3 3-4 10; Jimmy Marino 1 1-2 4; Derrius Lucas 3 4-6 11; Kayjel Morris 3 0-0 7. TOTALS 18 8-14 50.
Lower Merion (63) – Jaylen Shippen 2 2-2 6; Justin Poles 1 6-8 8; Peter Gribbin 1 0-0 2; Sam Brown 4 3-4 15; Demetrius Lilley 8 2-5 18; Henry Bard 1 0-0 2; Sam Wright 3 4-4 12. TOTALS 20 17-23 63.
3-point goals: Abington – Connor Fields, Fhenyx Scutt, Jeremiah Lee, Jimmy Marino, Derrius Lucas, Kayjel Morris; LM – Sam Brown 4, Sam Wright 2.
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