By: Rich Flanagan @richflanagan33 - Videos: Angelise Stuhl @ngelise_s
PHILADELPHIA – When Roman Catholic's Lynn Greer III walked off the court at the Palestra following the Philadelphia Catholic League championship game, no one had expected that the sophomore point guard had just finished what may have been his final PCL game. After all, only a few minutes prior he had found teammate Hakim Hart for the game-winning basket to seal a two-point victory over Bonner-Prendergast to give the Cahillites their third PCL title in four years.
Greer also helped Roman Catholic win the PIAA Class 6A title over Abraham Lincoln, a game in which he scored 20 points, and immediately after his attention turned to the future. In May, he chose to transfer to Oak Hill Academy (Va.), a program which has produced players such Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony. At the time, it was a devastating blow to a core group which included Hart (St. Joseph’s), Seth Lundy (Penn State) and Louie Wild.
While becoming acclimated with the school and the program, Greer noticed immediately something was missing. It was bigger than basketball and being an eight-hour drive from home didn’t suit him. In a surprising move, he returned to the corner of Broad & Vine and he instantly knew he was where he belonged.
“I was with Oak Hill [during the summer,]” Greer said. “I wouldn’t say it was basketball as the reason why I transferred back. I was homesick and didn’t want to be out there. It was very far from home and this was the best fit for me.”
Greer’s return to the starting point guard position raised the Cahillites’ expectations back to where they were after the season had ended, which ultimately culminated with a PCL and state crown. The team hasn’t missed a beat since Greer returned and he feels he’s gotten over a personal hurdle following Friday’s night victory over rival Neumann-Goretti.
Roman vs. Neumann-Goretti 1st Half Highlights:
Greer poured in 27 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in lifting Roman Catholic to a 79-76 overtime victory against the Saints at the Community College of Philadelphia. As a sophomore, he scored seven points in the Cahillites’ loss to Neumann-Goretti, which was tied for his lowest scoring output of the year.
The Saints had won the last three regular-season matchups and Greer, who tallied five points in the extra period, wanted to put his stamp on this historic rivalry.
“Last year, I didn’t play too well against Neumann,” Greer said. “I felt I had to prove myself. I didn’t do too much over the last two games so I knew I had to come in and play well.”
After scoring a total of 12 points combined in those two contests against Devon Prep and Camden (N.J.), Greer came out and asserted himself in the opening quarter with eight points, three rebounds and a block. More importantly, he limited Saints point guard and Rider commit Chris Ings to two points in the first two quarters. His last basket of the first quarter gave Roman Catholic (11-4, 6-1 Philadelphia Catholic League) a 17-6 lead.
The Saints responded in the second as junior guard Hakim Byrd scored 13 of his 27 points in that quarter alone. His two three-pointers to end the quarter gave Neumann-Goretti (9-3, 5-1) a 38-37 advantage heading into halftime. Hart got things going in the third with a pair of baskets, the second a tip-in off a Lundy (13 points, eight rebounds, five assists) miss to increase the Cahillites lead to 47-42.
The St. Joe’s commit, who finished with 20 points and six boards, talked about Greer’s transition back into the fold and how head coach Matt Griffin has set the duo up for success.
“When Lynn came back, we were all family,” Hart said. “It was easy for him to come back and play basketball with us. Coach Griffin set us up perfectly within the offense. Lynn and I were doing screen and pops so he can go to the rim or pass it off to Seth or Louie. It’s just easy offense.”
After a slow start, Ings came alive after halftime scoring 15 of his 19 points after being held to two in the first 16 minutes. His finish down the right side cut the deficit to 55-53 with 6:58 left to play in regulation. Greer answered with an and-one to put Roman back up by five.
Roman vs. Neumann-Goretti Second Half Game Highlights:
Chris Evans hit two of his three treys in the closing minutes then Byrd converted a floater in the lane to tie the game at 61-61. After a back-and-forth final four minutes, Ings had a chance to win it but his contested three-pointer was off and the two teams headed for overtime.
Wild hit two of his four shots from behind the arc in overtime, the latter of which put Roman ahead for good at 76-74, then Greer hit two clutch free throws on the next possession. This type of game showcased Greer’s maturation and his head coach was able to reflect on how far he’s come as a player.
“He’s a kid that continues to grow and get better,” Griffin said. “He’s adding more things to his game and adding leadership qualities as well. The best part about my job is seeing kids develop. I’ve seen him as a freshman and now midway through his junior year, you can see the difference. He’s done a great job and will continue to get better.”
Evans had a chance to tie things up on a three-pointer from the corner with under five seconds left in overtime but a block from Lundy sealed the victory for the Cahillites. While he filled up the stat sheet, Greer gave all of the credit to his teammates, particularly Lundy, who saved the game at the end.
“Seth, Louie and Hakim were the bigger parts of winning of this game,” Greer said. “I think I just played my game and they knocked down the shots and played great defense. Seth had a great block down there. I felt if he didn’t block it, it would’ve gone in.”
Greer hadn’t beaten Neumann-Goretti in the regular season in his career and it was eating at him over the last two seasons. A win over the rival Saints in the heart of Philadelphia has him trusting he made the best decision for himself in returning to Roman and feeling right at home.
Looking Ahead: Roman Catholic will host Archbishop Wood on Monday, Jan. 21 at 7PM. Also on Monday, Neumann-Goretti will host undefeated La Salle at 7PM.