City of Basketball Love

Ty Daubert (@TyDaubert)
—

Packed into St. Joe’s Prep’s Kelly Fieldhouse on Friday afternoon, Roman Catholic fans erupted as standout Daniel Skillings buried a 3-pointer from the right wing with under 1:30 to play. 

Neumann-Goretti had made another push, just as it did all game. But Skillings provided yet another counter. The Cincinnati-bound senior’s third and final triple put the Cahillites ahead by six points to help seal the win in a high-intensity Philadelphia Catholic League matchup.

“It feels like the playoffs, man,” he said. “It gives me chills when the crowd goes crazy and they’re screaming for us and things like that. We’re ready, we’re ready for this.”

The shot capped a run of eight consecutive points from Skillings as Roman pulled away to secure a 64-55 victory over the Saints. 

The Cahillites led by as many as 10 points in multiple spots, but Neumann-Goretti fought back to bring the second-half deficit to as little as two. Ultimately, Roman was able to complete the win behind a 22-point performance from Skillings and some late-game foul shooting.

“That’s Roman-Neumann,” Cahillites head coach Chris McNesby said. “We’re up, they come storming back. That’s Roman-Neumann.

“It’s good to win, but really it comes down to the next game, getting ready for the playoffs. That’s what makes this league pretty special.”

Friday’s game was something of a precursor to the upcoming PCL postseason. The Prep wasn’t quite the Palestra, but the energy was amplified and the back-and-forth action was representative of the deep level of play in the Catholic League this season.

Neumann-Goretti jumped out to a two-point lead after the first-quarter behind as big Sultan Adewale scored six of his eight points and contested shots on defense. Skillings kept Roman right behind by scoring eight points on four dunks.

Roman jumped ahead in the second quarter as junior guard Xzayvier Brown got going as well, penetrating and scoring in the paint. The Cahillites extended their lead to 10 with under a minute left in the first half before Neumann-Goretti’s Masud Stewart knocked down a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to seven.

Stewart wasn’t finished being heard from in the second half, finishing with a total of 18 points. A layup from the senior guard quickly erased Roman’s lead as the Saints began the third quarter on a 7-0 run.

It continued like that for the rest of the game. Roman went up, Neumann-Goretti brought the lead back down. That was, until Skillings separated his team for good

The Saints cut Roman’s lead down to four points with two minutes to go, then forced a jump ball on defense. The possession arrow stayed with the Cahillites. Brown got the ball, drove to the basket and found Skillings open on the perimeter. 

Having scored the previous five Roman points, the 6-foot-6 wing caught it and buried three more. Neumann-Goretti never bounced back. It tried the fouling game, but Brown and Khalil Farmer stepped up at the line to close out the game.

“It’s a lot of electricity,” Skillings said. “Knowing I’ve hit these shots before, I’m here for it. I never back down from hitting those big shots when we need it. The ball came my way, and it felt great coming off my hand.”

The experience against Neumann-Goretti should be something that helps Roman (13-3, 9-1)  as it looks ahead to the Catholic League playoffs. Finishing games against quality opponents is necessary when that time comes, and having the chance to do it in the regular season can only be a benefit.

“This is going to get us prepared for games like that in the playoffs,” Skillings said. “It means the most in the playoffs to finish out games like this together.”

The Saints (9-3, 5-2) can also use this game against a talented Roman team to continue building. However, it will be a challenge as they play six games in the next 11 days, starting with a matchup against Cardinal O’Hara on Sunday, following a COVID-19-related pause earlier this season.

“We’re just a tick off right now on a lot of stuff,” Neumann-Goretti head coach Carl Arrigale said. “Hopefully we can fix it, which is hard. … We’re gaining valuable experience, and hopefully by the time we get to the playoffs we’ll be playing better.”

Roman has three games remaining on its PCL schedule, beginning Monday at La Salle College. Riding a seven-game win streak, the Cahillites want to keep using these opportunities as preparation for the postseason.

“This crew and these kids didn’t have this experience last year,” McNesby said, “the crowds and the momentum — you’re playing in empty gyms. This adds a whole other element: crowds, fans, playing in front of your family. It’s cool, I’m happy for the kids. And that will give them great experience down the stretch.”

By Quarter
Neumann-Goretti:  19  |   7   |  16  |  13  ||  55
Roman Catholic:    17  |  16  |  16  |  15  ||  64

Scorers
Neumann-Goretti: Masud Stewart 18, Robert Wright III 11, Aamir Hurst 9, Sultan Adewale 8, Khaafiq Myers 6, Bruce Smith 3

Roman Catholic: Daniel Skillings 22, Xzayvier Brown 19, Khalil Farmer 13, Shareef Jackson 6, Toby Ojukwu 4