Roman Catholic wins a wild one over La Salle

CHELTENHAM >>  When Roman Catholic and La Salle College High School got together Monday night at Arcadia University, 32 minutes was not enough time to decide the winner.

After La Salle overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit, Roman did what it needed to in overtime to come away with the 52-48 Philadelphia Catholic League win.

Roman’s Tony Carr scored four of his game-high 15 points in the extra session to help the Cahillites (12-4, 4-2) outscore La Salle, 6-2, in overtime.

The game was sent to overtime when the Explorers (13-3, 5-2) tied the game at 46 on a Ryan McTamney three-pointer with less than five seconds left in regulation. The Penn State-bound Carr missed a pull up jumper on the ensuing possession as the buzzer sounded.

La Salle’s Matt Paulus hit a three on the first possession of the fourth quarter to cut the lead from 10 to seven. After a Roman basket, McTamney hit a three and the Explorers trailed by six, 38-32.

Jarrod Stukes made a basket and was fouled with 2:03 to play. After the free throw, La Salle was down five, 42-37.

With 26 seconds left in the game, the Explorers’ Isaiah Jones drilled a three to cut the deficit to two at 45-43.

Roman’s Carr was fouled and went 1-for-2 from the free-throw line, opening the door for McTamney’s game-tying triple.

Missed free throws were a theme for Roman in the fourth. After going 9-for-11 in the first three quarters, Roman shot 4-for-9 from the charity stripe in the final eight minutes.

Roman’s two Penn State-bound seniors in addition to Carr, Nazeer Bostick and Lamar Stevens, each finished with eight points. Paul Newman scored 11 for the Cahillites.

McTamney led La Salle in scoring with 14 points, Paulus had 11 and Stukes eight.

Roman’s size advantage proved to be a game-changer in this PCL clash. Newman and Stevens did not allow much penetration on the defensive end and grabbed offensive boards to create second chances all game.

Newman and Stevens each had multiple blocks on defense and so did Bostick — none bigger than one of a McTamney layup attempt with 45 seconds left in regulation while Roman led by five.

The Cahillites entered the fourth quarter with a 10-point lead due to a big third quarter. The teams came out of the half tied at 21 and Roman won the third, 15-5.

D’Andre Vilmar scored the first four points of the second half on a pair of two-hand slams that shifted all of the momentum to Roman — which scored the first six points of the third before heading to the final quarter with a 10-point edge.

Roman started the game hot, jumping out to a 10-2 lead with Newman scoring six of the team’s first eight points. La Salle battled back and tied the game at 12 early in the second quarter on a Dan Remolde three-pointer and took its first lead at 14-13 after a pair of Paulus free throws.