PHILADELPHIA-Leading by five with less than a minute to play, Roman Catholic was looking to sink its free throw opportunities to cement the Philadelphia Catholic League title. However, in front of a sold out crowd at the Palestra Monday night against first place Neumann-Goretti that was not an easy task.
Just ask senior guard Nazeer Bostick.
The Penn State commit missed two free throws, leading to a layup by Saints junior forward Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree to cut the deficit to three with 30.5 seconds left.
It was one of several nerve-wracking moments for the Cahillites (21-3, 14-2 Catholic League), who found a way to get the 72-65 victory against Neumann-Goretti (22-3, 15-1 Catholic League) to repeat as Catholic League champions.
Senior guard Tony Carr drives to the basket at the Palestra. (Devin Fonrose/Philly Sports Digest)
Roman got out to a hot start, starting the game on an 11-0 run. Senior guard Lamar Stevens scored five of his game-high 22 points in the opening three minutes to help the Cahillites get out to the fast start.
“I think we really tried to emphasize going inside early… We got Lamar [Stevens] the ball inside early and Paul [Newman] and Lamar playing a little high-low,” coach Chris McNesby said. “I thought that was effective. Just going to the basket early. We wanted to play a power game. We wanted to go inside and I think that helped us build a lead.”
Neumann-Goretti quickly responded with a 6-0 run. The Saints climbed back into the game in the second half. Junior guard Quade Green made a three-pointer with one minute, 44 seconds left in the third quarter to tie the game at 44. It was the first three-pointer of the game for Neumann-Goretti, who was 0-for-9 from behind the arc in the first half.
Roman junior guard D’Andre Vilmar responded with a basket on the other end to put the Cahillittes up by two. The brief tie was the closest the Saints got to taking the lead. Roman never trailed in the game.
The Cahillites regular season experiences kept them composed when their lead was in jeopardy.
“We’ve been through that a lot,” senior center Paul Newman said. “We’ve been tied up. We’ve been down by twenty. We’ve been down by more than that and we just came back and won and we just kept our composure.”
The two teams battled on Jan. 6, with Neumann-Goretti taking at 85-68 win on its home court. The Saints shot a higher percentage from behind the arc, making seven three-pointers. Newman missed the game with complications from a concussion. The 6-foot-7 center contributed seven points Monday.
Senior guard Lamar Stevens cuts down the net at the Palestra following Roman's 72-65 victory. (Devin Fonrose/Philly Sports Digest)
Penn State commits Tony Carr and Bostick contributed 21 and 12 points respectively. Roman’s guards attacked the paint throughout the game.
“It’s a big deal,” Catholic League co-coach of the year Carl Arrigale said of Roman’s size. “They’re way bigger than us. We’re smaller, faster. They controlled the tempo tonight, that’s why they won.”
After six straight Catholic League titles from 2009-2014, Neumann-Goretti has lost the past two to Roman.
“It’s huge,” McNesby said. “Because to do it against them, they’re one of the best programs around in the city and to be the champion to become a champion is an amazing thing. And a lot people picked them to win and I get all that. They deserve every bit of that, so for us to beat them twice just says a lot about our guys and their character.”
Saints senior guard Zane Martin attempts a layup in Neumann-Goretti's finals loss against Roman Catholic Monday. (Devin Fonrose/Philly Sports Digest)
Roman Catholic defeats Neumann-Goretti 72-65 (38 Photos)
The Cahillites defeated the Saints in front of a sold-out crowd at the Palestra Monday. Photos by Devin Fonrose & Anthony Simuro