City of Basketball Love

Ty Daubert (@TyDaubert)
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PHILADELPHIA — Of all the net-cutting ceremonies at the Palestra that Neumann-Goretti head coach Carl Arrigale has been a part of — and there have been plenty — none felt quite as special as Monday night’s. 

Following a regular season that included a COVID-related shutdown and a jam-packed schedule down the stretch, his Saints came together to find their stride in the Philadelphia Catholic League playoffs. It all came to a peak on Monday for Neuman-Goretti as the No. 4 seed defeated No. 6 Archbishop Ryan 61-57 at “The Cathedral of College Basketball” in the PCL championship.

“This one’s different,” Arrigale said, “because of what we went through. This is different for sure.”

With the victory, Arrigale claimed his 12th PCL title, setting a new Catholic League record. The 24th-year coach found himself on top again at the end of what once appeared to be a lost season.

After the Neumann program took a midseason break due to COVID, the Saints were forced to play a tight schedule to close out the season with little time for rest or preparation. The team played five games in the season’s final week, and Arrigale hoped his young team could head into the playoffs with enough steam to make a push. But even he couldn’t have predicted how it played out.

“We had to play games (that were) so compacted, and fight through some injuries and some contact tracing and all the nonsense that went along with the whole thing,” Arrigale said. “I really just wanted to get to the Palestra so these guys could experience it for later on.

“Then once you get here, you get a taste, a little twinkle in your eye.”

Upon making the Palestra, Neumann upset No. 1 Roman Catholic in the semifinals behind sophomore guards Robert Wright III and Khaafiq Myers. That duo was just as impactful in the championship game.

“What I found out is that I won that last game quite a few times with some really good guards,” Arrigale said. “And I got me some good guards [now].”

Neumann-Goretti's boys captured their second PCL title in the last three years, and ninth since 2009. (Photo: Gavin Bethell/CoBL)

Against Ryan, Wright scored a game-high 22 points while Myers added 15 in a back-and-forth game that came down to the wire. As the two have logged heavy minutes in the back-end of the season, they’ve continued to perform when needed. That trend was certainly no different in the championship game.

“We just do anything to win,” Myers said. “It doesn’t matter if our legs buckle or our ankles snap, we’re still going out there to finish hard and get a PCL championship. And that’s what we did.”

(Read more: Adewale's double-double a major factor in Saints' win.)

Wright and Myers combined for all 18 of Neumann’s points in the third quarter as the Saints edged out Ryan during a quarter with multiple lead changes. Big man Thomas Sorber, who scored 17 points, led the Raiders as they trailed 44-43 after the third.

That was the nature of the game from the start. Neumann jumped early, scoring the first basket of the night as Myers converted a layup off a steal. Wright and Masud Stewart led the Saints offensively in the first, each scoring five points and nailing back-to-back 3-pointers late in the quarter. However, Ryan stuck right around, trailing only 12-11 after the first.

Luke Boyd nailed four 3-pointers for Ryan in the first half to keep the Raiders right behind, while Saints center Sultan Adewale scored seven points and pulled down eight rebounds in the half as Neumann took a 26-24 lead into the break.

After Wright and Myers handled the third, they got others involved to help secure the win in the fourth. Adewale made a key tip-in and two late free throws for Neumann. Myers threw Stewart an alley-oop, which he laid up and in while getting fouled to put the Saints up two. 

Up two with 45 seconds left, Wright found Adewale wide open down the floor for a dunk to put Neumann ahead 60-56. Ryan responded with one foul shot, then stole the inbounds pass from Neumann. The Raiders got three chances to tie the game with 3-point attempts after two misses deflected out of bounds off the Saints, but failed to connect on any.

Ryan was forced to foul as Neumann clinched the title.

“I thought it was a great game,” Ryan head coach Joe Zeglinski said. “It was a great game, great PCL championship. I’m proud of our effort, and I trust that we’ll be back, with the young group we have, and we have to look forward to try and win the state championship.”

Both teams will play for District 12 titles this week: Ryan on Wednesday night against Imhotep Charter at La Salle High School in the 5A championship, and Neumann-Goretti against West Philadelphia on Friday at Lincoln High School in the 4A championship.

For Neumann, a close win encapsulated the way this entire season has been. Nothing has come easy for this group of young players. Arrigale has seen his share of PCL title teams before, but this one was undoubtedly unique.

“We’ve won so many different ways with so many different kinds of guys,” he said. “... But this was one of the most improbable. Not because we weren’t good enough. We thought we were good enough.”

Even with the numerous postponements and the crammed schedule, all the Saints needed was a chance at the Palestra.

“I knew if we could get here,” Arrigale said, “(that) this place is different.”

By Quarter
Neumann-Goretti:  12  |  14  |  18  |  17  ||  61
Archbishop Ryan:  11  |  13  |  19  |  14  ||  57
Shooting
Neumann-Goretti: 21-54 FG (7-19 3PT), 12-20 FT
Archbishop Ryan: 20-54 FG (5-21 3PT), 12-16 FT

Scoring
Neumann-Goretti: Robert Wright III 22, Sultan Adewale 15, Khaafiq Myers 15, Masud Stewart 8, Bruce Smith 1

Archbishop Ryan: Thomas Sorber 17, Luke Boyd 15, Jalen Snead 10, Michael Paris 9, Darren Williams 6