Neumann-Goretti's league streak hits 66

With a packed gym, senior-day festivities, and a raucous student cheering section contributing to a blaring atmosphere inside St. Joseph's Prep's Kelly Fieldhouse, Neumann-Goretti showed why it has been almost four seasons since it lost a game in the Catholic League.

Led by four players scoring in double figures, the Saints beat the Hawks, 66-53, Friday.

Neumann-Goretti, ranked No. 3 in Southeastern Pennsylvania by The Inquirer, extended its PCL win streak to 66 games, handed the Hawks their first league loss of the season, and grabbed sole possession of first place with a 12-0 record (18-3 overall).

The Saints did all that in a spacious, rowdy gym in which nearly no one on the roster had played a varsity game before.

"We've played in so many state [playoff] games over the years, all those hostile environments," Saints coach Carl Arrigale said. "I really think it helped the guys."

Ja'Quan Newton, a sophomore, led N-G with 15 points on 7-for-9 shooting. Forward John Davis added 13 (6 for 11), and Hanif Sutton and Derrick Stewart had 11 apiece. All seven Saints who played scored, ringing in stark contrast to the Prep (18-3, 11-1).

Just four players scored for the No. 4 Hawks. Juniors Steve Vasturia and Miles Overton put up 28 of the Prep's 45 field-goal attempts. Vasturia, a Notre Dame recruit, scored a game-high 27 points, going 10 for 17 from the field (4 for 6 on threes). Overton added 14 points on 5-for-11 shooting, to go along with five assists and three blocks.

Vasturia (five rebounds, two blocks) and Overton combined for a 53.5 percent clip, but the rest of the Hawks shot a paltry 3 for 17, yielding just 12 points.

The Saints shot 56.8 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range.

The loss snapped a 12-game Prep win streak.

Neumann-Goretti, which has won the last three PCL championships and two PIAA Class AAA state titles, never trailed. A 12-2 run to start the game prompted Prep coach Speedy Morris to burn two timeouts in the opening five minutes. The Hawks missed their first five shots and didn't score until Vasturia hit a jumper at the 4:08 mark of the first.

Five first-half threes kept the Hawks within two at halftime. Vasturia and Overton combined for all 13 of the Prep's third-quarter points, but N-G took a six-point lead into the fourth on Billy Shank's buzzer-beating three-pointer.

The Saints dominated the final period, when Stewart, a Rider recruit, dropped all 11 of his points. He added nine boards and two blocks for the game. N-G broke open a 12-point lead on Newton's layup with 2:30 remaining.

Down by 11 with 1:27 left, Morris pulled his starters.

Neumann-Goretti's last PCL loss, regular season or playoffs, came on Feb. 16, 2008 to Monsignor Bonner in the league quarterfinals.

"It's great to be undefeated in the Catholic League, but that don't mean nothing," Newton said. ". . . When you put on a Neumann-Goretti jersey, you play until you win a state championship. So we're looking forward to that."

Neumann-Goretti   17 10 17 22 – 66

St. Joseph's Prep   11 14 13 15 – 53

NG: Billy Shank 9, Hanif Sutton 11, John Davis 13, Ja'Quan Newton 15, Derrick Stewart 11, Shane Thomas 3, La'Quan Coaxum 4.

SJP: Steve Vasturia 27, Miles Overton 14, Gene Williams 6, Tom Stewart 6.