Roman Catholic knocks out Plymouth Whitemarsh
SOUTHAMPTON >> Roman Catholic was just too much for Plymouth Whitemarsh.
The (12-1) Cahillites and their roster filled with Division 1 college talent cruised to a 64-45 win in the PIAA Class AAAA semifinals Tuesday night at Council Rock High School South.
“They are just too big and athletic,” PW coach Jim Donofrio said. “If I could just stop time, stop the world spinning for a year and a half and grow, it would be a better game. That’s all. They know how to play. They play calmly.”
Roman, the defending state champs, advance to face Allerdice in the final Saturday at Hershey’s GIANT Center.
For a moment, it looked like the (1-1) Colonials had a chance to do the impossible.
Senior guard Xzavier Malone had nine points in the first quarter and PW led by five, 17-12, with less than 30 seconds until the break. The Colonials weren’t able to score and left a little too much time on the clock.
Roman’s Tony Carr, a Penn State commit, banked home a shot from beyond half-court as the buzzer sounded to cut the Cahillites deficit to two, 17-15.
Carr’s three started a 15-4 run that ended late in the second quarter with Roman ahead, 27-21. The Colonials made a couple of baskets to cut their deficit to two, but Carr casually pulled up and swished a three to extend the lead to five with less than a minute remaining before the break and that’s how the teams went into halftime – Roman ahead, 30-25.
“It’s a long game,” Donofrio said. “It doesn’t matter about a moment in this game. It’s not a moment. It’s not like Tony hits a half-court shot. Maybe in a normal-size game … This is about – you have to be absolutely loose, good, make adjustments. If you are trying to get technical, the kids are used to for 31 games being able to get up on somebody and body up on somebody in the backcourt and stay with them. You’re getting on up (Roman’s) guards and they’re by you and they’re by you quick.
“You just saw a difference in levels. ‘X’ is our one legitimate D-1 and you probably have a whole lot of seniors who are basically D-3s … And they are looking at a whole lot of expertise and quickness and strength. You can tell over 32 minutes in waves.”
Pw made the first basket of the second half, but Roman followed with an 11-0 run to take a commanding 41-27 advantage.
Late in the third, PW’s Ahmin Williams made a basket and was fouled, then Malone followed that with a bucket of his own to cut the deficit to nine, 41-32.
Malone then picked up his fourth foul and had to leave the game.
Roman’s Nazeer Bostick, another Penn State commit, scored five points on the next two possessions and essentially iced the game.
“I thought Bostick was huge in just physically getting to the rim,” Donofrio said of the Roman guard, who scored 15 points in the second half. “That was something that I think ‘X’ was shocked by and Oakley … He just literally closed the door on things offensively.”
Bostick finished with a team-high 17 points, Carr had 14 and Paul Newman 12.
Malone scored a game-high 21 points and was the only Colonial in double figures.
“I tried, man, but it is what it is,” Malone said. “I tried to play my hardest out there. It was my last game. I’m really proud of me and my team. What a run we’ve had this season.”
