Neumann-Goretti thumps Carroll

SO MUCH for the notion that Ss. Neumann-Goretti's basketball team might have faded away after getting hammered by Chester not too long away in a nationally televised showdown.

The Saints are still very much in the hunt for a fifth consecutive Catholic League championship, and their two playoff victories have been seized by an average of 27 points.

"When something like that Chester thing happens, you just have to move forward," Troy Harper said. "Can't dwell on it. Around the city, I'm sure everybody was thinking, 'We've got 'em now!'

"Our approach was, 'Let 'em think it. We're coming back strong.' We went to practice the next day and got right back to work. That game was behind us."

If Troy Harper's name is unfamiliar, it's because he's usually the Saints' seventh man and his profile is nowhere close to the starters'.

But Wednesday night at the Palestra, in Game 2 of the CL semifinals, Harper served as the sixth man instead of the seventh and, wow, did he make memories.

As N-G stormed to a 57-34 triumph over Archbishop Carroll (after an 85-54 thumping of Bishop McDevitt in a quarterfinal), the 6-1, 160-pound Harper, a junior wing guard, shot 5-for-8 from the field and 1-for-1 from the line for 11 points.

Seven of those markers came in the second quarter as the Saints frolicked to a 17-3 edge and forced Carroll to miss its first 10 shots and 13 of 14 in all.

By far, however, Harper's best moment came in the third quarter on the bucket that staked N-G to a 39-27 lead.

As noted three paragraphs ago, Harper is 6-1.

This field goal was scored on a dunk off a midair follow.

"Well, since the first shot was being taking from the right side, I figured the rebound would go long to the left," Harper said. "So, I started going toward the basket. Then I saw it hit off the rim and I was thinking, 'This could be it!'

"Really, I couldn't believe I was up that high. And that the ball came right into my hand as I was right up there above the rim. I've never had a dunk like that in a game. Not even AAU. It was like, 'Wow, that did just happen!' "

He laughed.

"I looked at our fans and everybody was screaming," he added. "So I screamed, too."

The only bad thing about the play was that the PA announcer mistook Harper, No. 3, for Tony Toplyn, No. 2.

Definitely an honest foul-up, considering that Toplyn is known, even nationwide to some extent, for his leaping prowess.

"Ah, man. They said it was Tony?" Harper said. "Didn't hear that."

Earlier this season, when N-G traveled to Oregon for a tournament, a dunk contest was held.

"Tony advanced two further rounds than I did," Harper said. "I did three windmills, but missed two of them."

Harper's three second-quarter field goals were notched on layups. One doubled as an and-one.

"We were playing defense and getting out in transition," he said. "That's what we had to do after they jumped on us early [14-7 first quarter]. Attack the hole.

Ja'Quan Newton topped the Saints with 18 points while John Davis and Harper halved 22. Davis (13) and Newton (eight) claimed the most rebounds. Hanif Sutton dished six assists. Also, the Saints pogosticked to 16 blocked shots, paced by Toplyn (seven) and Davis (four).

For Carroll, which has dropped 27 of its last 28 meetings with N-G, only Derrick Jones (11) scored in double figures. The sophomore also led in boards (11) and assists (four). The Patriots shot 12-for-55 from the floor.

Harper, who lives on Grays Avenue, not far from John Bartram High, said the early part of the season was not his best work.

"I guess I was a little down about not starting," he said. "But I kept working and just tried to do the best I could in my role.

"Hey, when they call your name, give it all you've got."

Sometimes, way above the rim.