Lower Merion Routs Erie Cathedral Prep, Will Play Saturday for State Title

Welcome to Patch's live coverage of the Lower Merion boys' basketball state playoff semifinal game, starting at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Wingate, Centre County.

The Aces face Erie Cathedral Prep, the team they defeated for the state title in 1996. The winner will reach Saturday's state championship game against either Central Dauphin or Chester, the latter having topped the Aces in the .

Follow along with Patch's updates throughout the game, and also check the team's Facebook page and Twitter feed.

An audio broadcast is available at www.teamline.cc (code 7776).

Team

8:18: And that's it. After the bench helps close the door, Lower Merion has beaten Erie Cathedral Prep, 79-48. They pulled away big in the fourth quarter.

8:13: 74-47. Starters are coming out for both teams. 2:07 to go.

8:12: Mike Robbins has 15 points.

8:10: 70-44 after B.J. Johnson answers an Erie bucket with a reverse layup and then Mike Robbins drives in, TeamLine.cc reports.

8:07: This game is all but over. An Aces fastbreak makes it 66-42 with half a quarter left.

8:06: Aces up 62-42. 

8:03: Aces are up 58-42 and taking their time in the fourth.

8:00: The Aces are one non-disastrous quarter away from landing in the state championship game. Reynolds leads the team with 18 points so far. Kudos again to www.teamline.cc on the broadcast.

7:57: Erie makes one of two foul shots also. Lower Merion sets up for one last shot in the third quarter. Reynolds is fouled inside with five seconds to go, makes one of two. 56-40.

7:56: Raheem Hall is fouled on a drive with 30 seconds to go. He makes one of two to make it 55-39, Aces. 

7:53: Another Erie jumper cuts it to 52-39, but Mike Robbins' bank shot makes it 54-39. 1:09 to go.

7:51: Erie air-balls a three-pointer and the Aces' fans let the foes know about it. 52-37, 1:54 to go in the third.

7:47: With 5:06 left in the third, it's 45-28, Erie having scored back to back.

7:45: Reynolds layup makes it 45-24.

7:44: Aces 43-24 early in the third quarter.

7:41: Lower Merion scored 15 and 23 points in each of its 8-minute quarters. Points for the Philadelphia 76ers in their 12-minute first quarter tonight: 11.

7:32: The first half ends with the Aces up, 38-23. B.J. Johnson has 14 points, Reynolds has 10.

7:30: Robbins feeds Reynolds for a basket to make it 38-20. Prep breaks the drought with a 3: 38-23, Aces.

7:29: A breakaway bucket makes it 36-20. 1:51 to go in the second.

7:26: Reynolds sinks two at the stripe, JaQuan Johnson makes a three, BJ Johnson makes a jumper and is fouled, making the and-1. 34-20. Wow.

7:24: A three and an alley-oop later, the Aces have a 26-20 lead. Johnson has made three treys.

7:22: 21-17, Aces, with more than five minutes left in the second quarter. Then a Prep three makes it 21-20.

7:21: Aces in full-court man-to-man defense.

7:19: BJ Johnson missed a dunk and was called for a technical foul for hanging on the rim, Teamline.cc reports.

7:17: Yohanny Dalembert misses two free throws, but Darryl Reynolds' putback after the second makes it 17-14, Aces.

7:15: Erie makes a three to go up 14-12, but Mike Robbins strikes back from beyond the arc. And the first quarter ends 15-14, Aces.

7:12: Raheem Hall scores to make it 12-9. About 2 minutes left in the first.

7:09: 10-9 Aces with 3:17 to go in the first. The audio broadcast is occasionally tough to hear; the noise in the gym is significant and nonstop.

7:07: Aces have made two three-pointers and a steal-layup to Prep's three field goals. 8-6, Aces.

7:04: Prep doesn't have a guy taller than 6'3", Teamline.cc reports, whereas Lower Merion has two players at 6'7".

7 p.m.: Patch will be listening to the audio broadcast and posting updates from it.