Neumann-Goretti three-peats at states

STATE COLLEGE - The PIAA Class AAA boys' championship hardware is remaining in South Philly.

Overcoming a slow start, Neumann-Goretti fought off District 7's Montour, 48-45, Friday night at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center to capture its third consecutive state basketball title.

The Saints, who trailed by 10 points in the first quarter, were finally able to exhale after the Spartans' last-second, three-point attempt fell short.

"We knew they were good," Saints coach Carl Arrigale said. "We weren't expecting anything else."

Ja'Quan Newton, a rising sophomore guard, keyed the hard-earned triumph with 17 points on 6-for-11 shooting.

Junior forward John Davis (11 second-half points, eight rebounds), senior guard Billy Shank (10 points, two early three-pointers), and senior forward Derrick Stewart (eight boards) also made key contributions.

Davis' three-point play and Newton's layup gave the Saints a 46-39 advantage with 11/2 minutes to go. Montour countered with a 6-2 spurt, with Kevin Scuilli's trey making it a 48-45 with eight seconds left.

In last year's final, with Newton registering a team-high 17 points and eight rebounds, N-G turned back Montour, 55-45.

After losing to South Shore (N.Y.) on Jan. 29, the Saints (28-3) closed with 14 straight wins. Their average margin of victory was 24 points.

Late in the third quarter, Stewart's follow of Hanif Sutton's missed free throw put the Saints ahead, 33-28. Dillon Buechel's jumper made it 33-31 entering the fourth.

N-G, boosted largely by Shank and Newton, opened the second quarter with a 12-2 run. Newton's two free throws provided a 19-17 lead, their first advantage of the game, with 1 minute, 50 seconds left until the break.

The Saints were in front, 21-19, at intermission. Shank (10, including a pair of treys) and Newton (seven) combined for all but four of the points, with Stewart and Davis going scoreless.

Neumann-Goretti shot 7 for 17 from the field (2 for 6 on treys) in the first half. A 5-for-6 showing at the line helped the Saints go to the locker room with a slim lead.

In the first quarter, Montour (24-5) jumped out to a 7-0 advantage. With two minutes left in the period, the Spartans were in front, 15-5.

The Saints went almost 31/2 minutes without scoring their first points. Shank's field goal ended the early drought.

Over the last six seasons, Neumann-Goretti has compiled a 152-26 record. Since the Catholic League joined the PIAA in 2008-09, the Saints are 17-1 in the state playoffs.

N-G become the first team to win three consecutive titles since Kennedy Christian claimed four in a row in Class A from 1998 to 2001.

Neumann-Goretti   7 14 12 15 – 48

Montour   15 4 12 14 – 45

NG: Hanif Sutton 6, Billy Shank 10, Derrick Stewart 2, John Davis 11, Ja'Quan Newton 17, La'Quan Coaxum 2.

M: Devin Wilson 7, Dillon Buechel 19, Kevin Scuilli 12, Ryan Lewis 6, Tyler Haas 1.