Neumann-Goretti again is champion

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - It was supposed to be a rebuilding year, but Neumann-Goretti, determined to stay in the penthouse suite, settled for nothing less than another state championship.

In the PIAA Class AAA boys' basketball final Friday night, the Saints, dominant over the final nine minutes, turned back a scrappy Montour squad, 55-45, at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center and retained their title.

Freshman wing guard Ja'Quan Newton was a major spark plug, producing 13 of his game-high 17 points in the second half and collecting eight rebounds.

Derrick Stewart, a 6-foot-5 junior, and 6-4 sophomore John Davis added 14 and 12 points, respectively. Stewart also grabbed 10 rebounds.

"I feel great for the kids," Saints coach Carl Arrigale said. "We asked them at the beginning of the year to trust us and to buy into what we do as a team. They bought in from the very first day."

Late in the third quarter and into the fourth, Neumann-Goretti (27-4) put together a devastating 15-0 run. It was highlighted by Newton's three field goals and Stewart's one-handed shot in the heart of the lane.

When the spree was over, the Saints led by 48-34.

"We got our transition game going into the second half," Arrigale said. "I thought we were a little passive in the first half."

Over the last five seasons, Neumann-Goretti has compiled a 124-23 record. Since the Catholic League joined the PIAA in 2008-09, the Saints are 12-1 in the state playoffs.

Arrigale will lose only one of his top seven players to graduation: senior point guard Lamin Fulton. Fulton, bound for St. Peter's, totaled seven points and three assists against Montour, of suburban Pittsburgh.

In last year's state final, the Saints, capping a 30-1 season, held off Chartiers Valley, 65-63. Arrigale lost four Division I recruits from that team.

Neumann-Goretti's biggest hurdle in this year's tourney came in a semifinal Tuesday against District 3 champion Lancaster Catholic. The Catholic League titlists held on for an 82-75 victory.

"Last year, with the seniors we had, everyone expected us to win it all," Fulton said. "There were plenty of doubters this year. I'm just glad we could prove them wrong.

"We battled and battled all year long. We played with a chip on our shoulders, and I think that helped us."

Fulton had five steals, and Davis grabbed seven boards in the final. Newton shot 8 for 13 from the field.

The Saints, who forced 15 turnovers, shot 23 for 49 from the field (3 for 11 on three-pointers). They overcame a 6-for-16 effort at the foul line.

Montour 12 9 13 11 – 45

Neumann-Goretti 9 15 14 17 – 55

M: Devin Wilson 4, Dillon Buechel 17, Austin Heter 7, Aaron McGee 7, Jimmy Sciulli 5, Kevin Sciulli 3, Luke Joseph 2.

NG: Lamin Fulton 7, Billy Shank 5, Derrick Stewart 14, John Davis 12, Ja'Quan Newton 17.