Neumann-Goretti tops Carroll in a thriller

IN THE HALLWAY outside the respective locker rooms, Archbishop Carroll star Derrick Jones graciously congratulated Neumann-Goretti's Quade Green for his play in a back-and-forth contest before an overflow and raucous crowd.

Green, an up-and-coming sophomore guard with multiple Division I scholarship offers, calmly buried a right-wing three-pointer with only 1.2 seconds to play to lift the Saints to a 71-69 triumph in a beyond thrilling Catholic League contest in Radnor.

"I just followed my mechanics," Green said of connecting on a feed from Lamarr Kimble. "The ball came and I shot it."

For the second straight season, Carl Arrigale's squad survived a major tussle at Carroll. Last year, Ja'Quan Newton, now at Miami, was the difference maker in a 64-58 win.

"It was a great high school game, two really good teams going at it," Arrigale said. "It was a character win for our guys on the road."

N-G improved to 15-1 overall and 7-1 in league action. Carroll, which led by 46-39 late in the third quarter, fell to 11-5 and 5-2.

En route to 26 points, the 6-foot, 165-pound Green shot a torrid 9-for-12 from the field (5 for 5 from beyond the arc) and 3 for 3 from the line. He added four rebounds (two on offense) and three assists.

"He's cold-blooded," Arrigale said of the rising underclassman. "He's not afraid of anything. He thinks he's the best. Confidence is key for kids."

After Kimble missed the front end of a one-and-one with 15.8 seconds to go, Josh Sharkey, fouled on a drive down the middle, made two freebies to put the Patriots ahead, 69-68, with 10.7 seconds remaining.

Instead of trying to gain redemption for his missed free throw, Kimble dished to Green.

"I was looking for the best shot," the Saint Joseph's recruit said. "When everyone converged on me up top, 'Q' was wide-open."

The visitors overcame a 26-point, 14-rebound performance by Jones. The UNLV signee collected 10 offensive boards and had five put-backs.

Said Arrigale: "I thought we defended his first opportunity pretty well. He's so quick off his feet. He gets right back up in the air."

N-G also received double-digit scoring from Kimble (15), Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree (13), and Zane Martin (11). Cosby-Roundtree and Martin halved 14 boards.

Down by 22-16 at the end of the first quarter, the Patriots won the second, 17-5. The burst was highlighted by Jones' incredible alley-oop slam off a feed from John Rigsby.