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Neumann-Goretti boys win Catholic title

The four-peat was truly earned.

Neuman-Gorreti's Derick Stewart and Ja'Quan Newton celebrate winning the Catholic League boys' basketball title. (Ron Cortes/Staff Photographer)
Neuman-Gorreti's Derick Stewart and Ja'Quan Newton celebrate winning the Catholic League boys' basketball title. (Ron Cortes/Staff Photographer)Read more

The four-peat was truly earned.

Neumann-Goretti survived a big-time tussle with St. Joseph's Prep on Monday night at the Palestra, turning back the Hawks, 59-57, in overtime and again leaving with the Catholic League's championship hardware.

"That's basketball," Neumann-Goretti coach Carl Arrigale said. "That's a good team we beat. We're not invincible. But we made enough plays to come out on top."

It was the program's fourth consecutive title and eighth in the last 12 seasons.

Only Roman Catholic, which bagged six straight from 1989 to 1994, has had a better run.

The difference, with 1.3 seconds remaining in the extra session, was Ja'Quan Newton's two free throws. The sophomore stepped to the line after being fouled on an inside field-goal attempt.

"It was real exciting, everything I expected," Neumann-Goretti senior forward Derrick Stewart said.

"I'm glad they gave us a run for our money. We like to be challenged like that."

Newton paced the Saints (22-3) with 21 points and 14 rebounds.

"He did it for us down the stretch," Arrigale said. "And the best thing about it is that we have him for two more years."

Stewart, ticketed for Rider, and junior forward John Davis scored 13 and 12 points, respectively.

For the Prep, junior guard Steve Vasturia netted all 19 of his points after intermission. He had all nine of the Hawks' OT points.

At the end of regulation, Newton, who managed 12 points and five rebounds in the first half, made the second of two free throws to give N-G a 48-47 lead.

With 16.9 seconds remaining, the Prep's Gene Williams (12 points) was fouled. He made the first freebie, but missed the second. That left things tied.

On its final regulation try, N-G put the ball in the hands of Newton. With Vasturia defending him, his 10-foot, right-baseline shot was just off the mark.

With Vasturia scoring eight points, the Prep (20-5) won the third quarter, 15-8. A follow bucket by Kevin Oberlies provided a 33-32 edge.

Miles Overton paced the Hawks in the first half with 11 points. Just before the break, after launching a trey from the left baseline, he had to be helped off the court with an apparent ankle injury.

Overton returned for the second half, but fouled out with 3 minutes, 24 seconds left in overtime. He totaled 16 points.

Early on, it looked as if the Saints might run away with the game.

With three makes from beyond the arc, they sprinted to an 11-0 lead. The Hawks' first points came with 4:20 remaining in the opening quarter.

Down by 13-2, the Prep managed a 10-4 spurt, highlighted by treys from Overton and Williams, and trailed by five heading into the second frame.

St. Joseph's Prep   12 10 15 11 9 - 57

Neumann-Goretti   17 9 8 14 11 - 59

SJP: Steve Vasturia 19, Gene Williams 12, Miles Overton 16, Kevin Oberlies 5, Kyle Thompson 5.

NG: Hanif Sutton 2, Billy Shank 5, Derrick Stewart 13, John Davis 12, Ja'Quan Newton 21, La'Quan Coaxum 6.