For years, Neumann-Goretti has dominated the Philadelphia Catholic League high school basketball scene. As five-time defending champions, the Saints faced off against Roman Catholic in the PCL championship game on February 24.
Roman and Goretti, two evenly matched teams, have led to many debates all season as to who is the PCL’s best team. Entering the game at 20-3 and undefeated within the league, Roman ranked 17th in the DigitalSports National Basketball Rankings and 1st in Pennsylvania. Neumann-Goretti came in ranking 18th nationally and 2nd in the state with a 20-4 record and one loss in the league to none other than Roman Catholic.
The pressure was on when the two teams stepped on the court and it certainly played an effect on the less than eloquent first half. The ball went back and forth without much scoring due to turnovers and missed shots. By the end of the half, Roman Catholic led 23-21, a low score considering the offensive power of both teams.
In the second half, both teams seemed to have found there rhythm. Roman took the advantage first, working its way to a 33-28 lead with three minutes left in the third. The Saints came right back with an 8-0 run to take a 36-33 lead into the fourth, a lead that they never let go of.
The Cahillites did not let Goretti run away with the lead. With a 17-15 score line going in Goretti’s favor, the Saints won 53-48, sealing the deal after Ja’Quan Newton hit two free-throws with 10 seconds left to put the game out of reach.
Newton, a Miami bound senior, won his fourth title with Neumann-Goretti in a stellar performance. The guard, netting 23 points while snagging eight rebounds, was in awe with the Goretti student section chanted “M-V-P” to him after the game. Jamal Custis, a 6-foot-6 forward who will play football at Syracuse next year, added on another 12 points to Goretti’s tally.
This victory puts Neumann-Goretti on par with some of the greatest streaks in PCL history. Now with six consecutive championships, the Saints tie Roman Catholics 1989-1994 championship run. Also, Goretti became the first school since Cardinal O’Hara to have both it boys and its girls basketball team to win the PCL championship in the same year.
Neumann-Goretti and Roman Catholic move on to the District 12 championship, Goretti in Class AAA and Roman in Class AAAA. Both teams play on Friday, looking to win and begin their challenge towards a state championship.
Player of the Game:
Ja’Quan Newton- 23 points, 8 rebounds
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