Neumann-Goretti tops Carroll for Catholic League crown

GREEN LIGHTS don't come in multiple sizes. Except, it seems, in basketball games.

The one spotted last night by Tyreek Duren at the Palestra in the crucial moment of the Catholic League final was as big as a dinner plate.

No, make that the center-jump circle.

No, make that a circus ring.

Go, Mr. Duren! And go a whole lot more!

"I knew what I had to do," Duren said. "It was time. Had to keep taking the ball to the basket."

Duren is a 6-foot, 175-pound senior point for Ss. Neumann-Goretti High and next year he'll play his hoops at La Salle University. One thing he'll take with him: a piece of CL history.

The CL has been operating since 1919-20. Just twice (also Roman Catholic in 1990-91) has a squad posted consecutive perfect league seasons, counting regular games and playoffs. Roman went 34-0. N-G did the Cahillites four better.

Did Part 2 come easily? Eventually, yes, to the tune of 75-59. But there was major consternation with 1:29 left in the third quarter as the Saints' lead over Archbishop Carroll stood at just five points, 51-46.

In addition, N-G's Tony Chennault (Wake Forest), the Blue Division MVP, had just been ejected for receiving a double technical for his role in a brief flareup that followed a hard foul committed against him, by Vince Mostardi, on a layup attempt. The Patriots' Ben Mingledough was also banished to the bench via the double-T route.

Hmm. Where would things go from here?

Would Carroll, missing Boston University-bound point guard DJ Irving (broken hand in semifinal) throughout, continue its stellar stretch and pull the upset? And not just a David over Goliath variety. David on life support over Goliath on steroids.

"I told Tyreek to take the game over," Chennault said. "I knew he would. I made a mistake, but I knew he'd have my back."

Duren finished with 19 points. Not only was each and every one ch-chinged onto the scoreboard in the second half, but he posted 14 after Chennault's departure.

He wasn't being a hog. He was filling the void in called-for fashion.

"When they were playing zone and we were hitting our threes, there really wasn't a need for me to shoot," Duren said. "But with Tony out and them playing man, hey, I was the only senior guard left out there who really handles the ball a lot.

"Once a team is down in the fourth quarter, it really has no choice but to play man. That's when I do more."

Chennault was clearly hammered on the key play. Others became involved, both verbally and physically, though not to any large degree, and after the refs met near midcourt to compare mental notes, lead guy Don Cummiskey informed the coaches, N-G's Carl Arrigale and Carroll's Paul Romanczuk, of the punishments to Chennault and Mingledough.

Both watched the rest of the quarter from their respective benches, then were ordered to leave the playing area by CL basketball moderator Joe Sette.

By rule, Chennault will be unavailable when N-G meets Murrell Dobbins Tech for the District 12 AAA title later this week (original details facing possible tweaking). Ditto for Mingledough when Carroll plays Simon Gratz tomorrow night, 7:30 at Archbishop Ryan, for the third state playoff seed; the loser gets none.

"We wanted to battle, claw and fight," Romanczuk said. "But not literally."

Said Arrigale: "It was just kids playing hard. They made too big a thing out of it."

Through the fourth quarter, Chennault stood near N-G's locker room in the southeast corner, watching intently and enjoying. When the final buzzer sounded, the Saints first dashed to the east end to scramble up into the stands for hugs with student fans.

Next, they grouped together and fetched Chennault for the net-cutting ritual.

The final two atop the ladder were Arrigale and frontcourt stalwart Danny Stewart (Rider), who supported the cause with 14 points, 15 rebounds and four blocked shots.

Title hardware is nothing new for N-G (and its assorted forerunners). It now owns 16 CL crowns, second to Roman's 28, and this is its sixth over the last 10 seasons. Over the last 11, its league mark, counting playoffs, is 159-28.

"Ah, they're all the same," Arrigale said. "What I'll remember about this one is the setback [loss of Chennault] and how we stuck together after it. That was nice."

Early, the Saints were in end-it-early mode, storming to a 12-1 lead. Led by Mingledough (16 points, nine rebounds) and junior guard Juan'ya Green (20 points, five assists, four steals), Carroll not only regrouped, but even thrived.

"Without their best guy, playing us like they did, you gotta give it to them," Duren said. "They have my respect."

Chennault wound up with 12 points, seven boards and three assists. The lone junior starter, guard Lamin Fulton, added 15 points and five feeds and he shared the late production load with Duren.

"They're a difficult team to defend," said Romanczuk, who starred at Carroll and Penn. "The Palestra floor is big as it is. When you have to go man, it seems as big as a football field."

Now, the Patriots, the defending state champ in AAA, must enter an elimination game without two of its three best players.

"They play 30-plus minutes apiece," Romanczuk said. "That's 60-plus available minutes. Guys always want more playing time. They clamor for it. Now's their chance."

A green light, you could say.