BY RICH FLANAGAN
(PHOTOS by ZACK BEAVERS )
HERSHEY, Pa. – It was a familiar scene for Neumann-Goretti.
Being part of the bedlam that ensues with a championship celebration. Standing side by side to receive their medals and the trophy. Hearing the applause and appreciation from their crowd reverberate down onto the court. The faces, however, were those of disappointment and anguish, two sentiments that aren’t synonymous with the illustrious history of the Saints program, particularly under head coach Carl Arrigale, and Neumann-Goretti was on the other side of this ceremony for the first time ever.
Lincoln Park players embraced and emitted their emotions on the floor of the GIANT Center following a 62-58 victory in the PIAA Class 4A Tournament Championship Game to claim their program’s third state title. Neumann-Goretti was involved in the Leopards’ celebration but not that they wanted to be. Robert Wright III attempted to hoist one final shot from just in front of halfcourt before the buzzer, but he never got it off with three defenders, who were waiting to erupt with jubilation, around him. He fell to the floor, the same one that he himself had led the Saints to the state title one year ago to cap off an unprecedented postseason run and give Arrigale the most PIAA state title victories (nine) all-time.
Dontay Green elected to forgo the celebration to pick Wright up off the ground then DeAndre Moye helped him. Before the elation could continue, a multitude of Lincoln Park players were consoling Wright and players from both teams were exchanging high fives at center court following a game that had six lead changes in the fourth quarter alone.
After putting together one of the more historic postseason performances by a Philadelphia Catholic League player ever as a sophomore, Wright was humbled by the tribulations he faced and met head on during the course of his junior season, and he was thankful to have been in these positions.
“It’s big because I’ve experienced winning it and losing it,” Wright said. “I’m getting both sides, but I know next time I want to be on the winning side again. The losing side doesn’t feel too good.”
Neumann-Goretti junior Robert Wright III - PSD Photo by Zack Beavers
The Baylor commit poured in a game-high 27 points, including 11 in the third, as Neumann-Goretti took its first-ever loss in a state title game. The Saints (26-4) have been one of the most dominant programs in the PIAA tournament since the Philadelphia Catholic League joined the PIAA in the 2008 school year and Arrigale boasts a 56-4 record in state playoff games. As Arrigale noted, “When you play enough of these, you’re bound to come out on the wrong end,” and that’s precisely what happened on Thursday night.
Wright hit a pair of three-pointers coming out of halftime, but Pittsburgh commit Brandin Cummings (25 points) answered with two treys of his own and the game was tied at 34-34 at the 5:58 mark of the third. Cummings finished with eight points in that third as the two Division I prospects dueled it out at both ends of the floor.
Arrigale has had a variety of different players who have wanted the ball in these types of games and delivered just as Wright has, and he never stops being impressed with his 6-foot floor general.
“He wants to be the man, and he’s willing to take both the good and bad with it,” Arrigale said. “He’s not afraid to take the big shot and face the music if it doesn’t go in. He’s got a bright future because of that attitude.”
Neumann-Goretti In PIAA Class 4A Title Game vs. Lincoln Park. (Video Highlights by Rich Flanagan for PSD)
That final quarter had some good and a share of bad, and it belonged to Cummings and 6-4 sophomore guard Meleek Thomas, who had Kentucky head coach John Calipari in to see him play the biggest game of his career. Thomas converted at the rim to begin the quarter, but Neumann-Goretti made a push as 6-8 senior big man Sultan Adewale, who finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds, converted a putback then Amir Williams sank his lone three-pointer of the night. Bruce Smith recorded a steal and turned it into a layup at the other end to give the Saints a 48-46 lead.
The Saints follow Wright and deservedly so, especially when considering he holds the record for most points by a Neumann-Goretti player in a single game (43 versus Overbrook in the District 12-4A title game) and has scored 1,213 points in three seasons. He scored 10 in that final frame with eight coming in the last 4:19 of the state final. He gave the Saints the lead at 55-54 as he stepped in the passing lane and finished at the other end. Cummings sank two free throws then Wright went 1-for-2 to tie the game at 58-58 with 48.7 seconds remaining.
Thursday was a crushing loss for the Saints but not nearly as detrimental on their psyche as the 57-52 overtime defeat at the hands of Roman Catholic in the Philadelphia Catholic League title game in February. Arrigale was astonished with the way this group responded to even get to this point because that game took a heavy toll.
Neumann-Goretti senior Sultan Adewale, First-Team All-Catholic - PSD Photo by Zack Beavers
“We had a tough time after blowing the Catholic League championship the way we did,” Arrigale said. “They tried to act like they were ok then we didn’t practice or shoot well through the entire state tournament. I tried to tell them that you have to push through and always understand winning isn’t a privilege. You just don’t win because we’ve won.”
While Arrigale stressed that “there was something missing toward the end compared to other championship teams in the past,” the state championship trophy was still within reach to the very end. Thomas, who scored 10 of his 22 points in the fourth and added eight rebounds, five assists and three steals for the game, was given the ball in the waning seconds and nailed a floater in the lane with 11.1 seconds remaining to give Lincoln Park (30-1) a 60-58 lead.
Wright got his opportunity to force overtime as he took a straight drive down the left side and his final layup of the night hung on the side of the rim but as it came off Adewale tipped it for one last, desperate attempt to tie the game. The ball came off and Cummings secured the rebound. He was fouled with 0.5 seconds left and calmly put the finishing touches on the title with two free throws.
It may have been the first loss ever in a state title for Neumann-Goretti but Thursday also marked the first time the Saints closed out a season without either the Philadelphia Catholic League or PIAA state title since 2019. That season, they lost to Roman Catholic as Detroit Pistons big man Jalen Duren went for 12 points and 18 rebounds at the Palestra in the league semifinals then Bishop McDevitt – which closed in 2021 – took down the Saints in the PIAA 3A quarterfinals under the direction of Drexel assistant Will Chavis.
It's certainly unfamiliar territory but Wright has taken it as a wakeup call to refocus and get back to what Neumann-Goretti has done perhaps better than anyone over the course of the last two decades.
“We’re going to be ready for next year because we took two tough losses in championships,” Wright said. “We’re going to be ready to come back and win.”
