Roman Catholic turns it on late, topples Neumann-Goretti in PCL semifinals

PHILADELPHIA >> There have been two versions of Roman Catholic’s basketball team this season.

The first shows up for three, sometimes three-and-a-half quarters and isn’t always a defensive juggernaut. The other, when it shows up late in the game, is noticeably different. When the Cahillities really lock down on the defensive end, they’re a completely different team.

That team came out earlier than usual Thursday night, as No. 1 Roman won a 72-66 war with No. 4 Neumann-Goretti in the Philadelphia Catholic League semifinals at the Palestra to book a spot in Monday’s final.

“It was definitely something we dug deep for,” Roman senior Seth Lundy said. “We’ve been in situations like this throughout the year and every time we were down, there was no pressure on us. We just continued to play basketball, swing the ball and play really good defense.”

The Saints came out hot in the first half, hitting seven 3-pointers in 17 tries, giving them enough firepower to take a 31-28 lead into the break. Roman, the defending PCL champion, couldn’t get much going from deep in the first half, but was still right there in a game that featured a lot of up-and-down play with few breaks in between.

Neumann-Goretti guard Chris Ings was sensational, scoring a game-high 28 points including 14 straight in the second half as he tried to will his team to a victory. While Ings was a one-man show, Roman got contributions across the board and coupled with its ramped-up defense, it proved to be the difference.

“I think our best basketball comes when we play defense,” Roman senior Louie Wild said. “When we play defense, we get the ball out in transition. It doesn’t matter who scores, we can all score, so that’s our best basketball.”

The Saints took a 47-44 lead into the fourth quarter with Ings scoring the last four as part of his personal 14-point run.

Lynn Greer III hit a step-back three to tie the game at the start of the fourth quarter, but neither team could pull away until the final few minutes. After Ings found Cameron Young for three, putting Neumann-Goretti up 60-59, Greer backed Ings down into the post and kicked out to Hart for three, putting the Cahillities back on top.

Wild would come up with a huge defensively play on the next Saints trip down the floor. Ings tried to drive on the left baseline, but the senior Roman guard was able to dislodge the ball and cause the turnover.

“I was just playing defense,” Wild said. “It was right when we went on our run and (Hart) got the and-1, so it’s just doing whatever it takes to get the win.

“He’s quick but he always does that little jab left and comes back right and I knew it was going to put it on me somehow, so I just kept my hands ready.”

Roman, in transition, took advantage. Greer found Lundy, who made the extra pass to Hart.

“They were playing me on the 3-point line the whole game, so the coaches kept telling me to pump-fake and take it in,” Hart said. “It was the right play.”

“I saw the mismatch, I saw Hakim Byrd guarding him so I said ‘Lynn, give me the ball’ and swung it to him,” Lundy said.

Hart’s three-point play put Roman up five with 1:31 to go. Greer, who scored 19 and Hart, who led Roman with 25, then closed the game out at the foul line.

Freshman Jalen Duren had 12 points and 18 rebounds for Roman, which advanced to the title game for the fourth time in the last five seasons.

Roman will meet No. 2 La Salle, a 49-41 winner over No. 3 Bishop McDevitt, in Monday’s title game at 8:30 p.m. back on Penn’s campus. The Cahillties beat the Explorers 73-67 on the road in the regular season, but Lundy noted it was a game that came down to the last few possessions.

On paper, the teams match up well, with La Salle’s senior experience and size combating Roman’s explosive athleticism. The difference may well be which Roman team comes out of the gates, or at the very least, when that other version of the team decides to emerge from its slumber.

“Our best defense is our best offense,” Lundy said. “When we get defensive stops, we get out in transition and we’re so athletic and so strong going to the lane we’re either getting a basket, an and-1 or go to the line. We really do try to dig deep on the defensive side. When we do that, nobody can beat us.”