Roman Catholic comes up victorious in an overtime battle for the Philly Catholic League title

With 3.1 seconds left in overtime, Roman Catholic’s Xzayvier Brown stood at the free-throw line, waving his hands in the air to rally the Cahillites’ student section inside the Palestra on Monday.

The senior point guard, who led Roman with 20 points, knew his Cahillites were taking home the Philadelphia Catholic League title over defending champion Neumann Goretti. And after he hit both free throws, sealing a 57-52 victory, he was right.

While leading 48-45 in the fourth quarter, Neumann missed a free throw, giving Roman one last possession. With 2.6 seconds on the clock, the crowd erupted as Brown hit a three to tie the game, 48-48, sending it into overtime.

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Roman’s Jermai Stewart-Herring, who finished with 10 points, hit a crucial three to open OT. But Neumann Goretti’s Robert Wright III, a top recruit in the class of 2024, came back with a follow off teammate Bruce Smith’s attempted corner three, a spot from where he went 2-of-4.

But with time winding down, the free-throw battle became crucial. Roman hit two freebies, taking a 55-52 lead with 9.7 seconds left. The Saints, however, missed their pair on their next possession.

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In a fast-paced matchup, the Saints had the upper hand for most of the third quarter, outscoring Roman, 17-7, and ultimately looked like the new title holders as the seconds ticked off.

After trailing for most of the first and second quarters, NG’s Wright, who finished with 13 points, hit a step back three-pointer, tying the game at 29 in the third. The momentum then shifted for the Saints, who took a 35-31 lead to end the third.

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