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Coston, Neumann-Goretti knock off Archbishop Carroll

01/18/2025, 8:30pm EST
By Owen McCue

By Owen McCue (@owen.mccue)
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SOUTH PHILADELPHIA — Neumann-Goretti junior Zion Coston isn’t one to fill up the scorebook.

Coston instead finds other ways to make her presence felt when she comes off the bench.

“I defend, I get rebounds, do the extra kickouts,” Coston said. “I do the little stuff.”

It was Coston’s defensive pressure in the fourth quarter that helped turn the tide for Neumann-Goretti in a 52-43 win over Archbishop Carroll on Saturday. 

The junior guard started as a sophomore last season. As a junior, her job has been to come off the bench and make her presence felt — and she's thriving in it.

It's why even though Coston hasn't reached double figures scoring in a game this season Saints coach Andrea Peterson made sure to note how critical she's been in helping the Saints out to a 13-3 start and 6-0 mark in Philadelphia Catholic League play.

“I don’t think enough credit goes to Zion,” N-G coach Andrea Peterson said. “ … Last year, she was a starter. This year right now she’s coming off the bench, but Zion has accepted the role of coming off the bench. … She makes a difference. And I’ll be honest with you, she’s the reason why we are successful this season because she’s adopted that role of the sixth man and she’s done a fantastic job.”


Neumann-Goretti junior Zion Coston has played an important role in the team's 13-3 start. (Photo: Owen McCue/CoBL)

There was little separation through the first three quarters between Neumann-Goretti (13-3, 6-0 PCL) and Archbishop Carroll (9-7, 5-1), who both came in unblemished in Philadelphia Catholic League play. They were tied 14-14 after one. The Saints led 22-20 at half before the Patriots took a 34-32 lead into the fourth — a big triple by N-G sophomore Reginna Baker cutting into a five-point deficit.

As it often does, Neumann-Goretti spun the game in its favor with its defense. The Saints forced a multitude of turnovers and turned them into fastbreak points during a 13-2 run that pushed their lead as large as nine a little past the midway point of the fourth.

Coston’s on-ball pressure allowed teammates like seniors Carryn Easely and Amya Scott to poke the ball free before heading the other way. The duo combined for 14 in the fourth quarter.

“Zion played a big part,” Easley said. “Coming off the bench, she gives us that spark of energy. She makes big-time plays for us, rebounds, steals. Her hand is always on the ball.”

It’s not a coincidence she is ready to leave her mark when she enters the game.

“Honestly, I look at it as if I’m starting because when you’re coming off the bench you see how the flow of the game is going,” Coston said. “You know what to do and what not to do when you get in, and that’s all I’ve been doing.”

Junior Alexis Eberz led the Patriots with 21 points on Saturday. She knocked down a triple that sparked a mini run to pull Carroll within four, but the Saints showed poise with the ball and at the line (8-for-11 in the fourth) to finish off the win. Coston drilled a clutch pair in the final minute.

Over the past two seasons, N-G has been one of the youngest teams in the PCL. After having no seniors a season ago, the Saints are suddenly one of the league’s most seasoned groups with two seniors, two juniors and sophomore in her second year starting on the floor to close games.

“When you have maturity and you have seniors and you have juniors who have been here and played in these moments, it makes it easier,” Peterson said. “Sometimes with the younger guys, they’re not as experienced so things happen, turnovers, they’re not equipped for moments like this. But we practice the way we play. We’re used to moments like this.”


Neumann-Goretti senior Carryn Easley had 14 points in Saturday's win. (Photo: Owen McCue/CoBL)

Saturday’s win over the Patriots was the first victory over Carroll for the Saints’ senior class and the first for the program since Feb. 4, 2020, breaking a five-game losing streak. 

The Saints finished fifth in the PCL standings in 2021-2 and 2022-23 and fourth in 2023-24. They made a run to the PCL semifinals when Easley and Scott were freshmen but they have been bounced in the quarterfinal round each of the last two seasons.

With victories over Carroll, O’Hara and Lansdale Catholic already, Neumann-Goretti is on pace for its best regular season finish in the PCL since a 9-3 mark and second place finish in the Red Division in 2019-20.

“This year, we just wanted it more,” Easley said of the team’s success against the PCL’s top dogs. “Like this is my senior year, I didn’t want to keep losing. We all made it an impact to come together and really work together to be successful this year.”

Even with the encouraging results, of course there’s plenty of work left to do. The Saints play Nazareth Academy, who knocked them out of the PCL playoffs last season on Thursday. A Jan. 30 matchup with Archbishop Wood could determine the top seed for the Catholic League playoffs.

They’ll have to go through the gauntlet once again come playoff time to try and make a coveted run to the Palestra.

“I just think it’s learning form years past and I got two seniors who want to go out on top and want to go 3-fo-3,” Peterson said. “They haven’t experienced the Palestra yet, so that taste they have for the Palestra is different this year. They say it, they talk every day. We talk about it in practice. They talk about it. They tell this team, ‘Y'all follow. We got you. We want to get to the promised land.’ That’s their goal this year and we have one goal in mind and we’re taking it one step at a time and that’s the ultimate goal right now.”

Neumann-Goretti 52, Archbishop Carroll 43

Archbishop Carroll 14 | 6 | 14 | 9 || 43

Neumann-Goretti 14 | 8 | 10 | 20 || 52

Archbishop Carroll: Alexi Eberz 21, Abbie McFillin 8, Kayla Eberz 7, Olivia Nardi 3, Brooke Olender 2, Bridget Grant 2.

Neumann-Goretti: Carry Easely 14, Reginna Baker 14, Amya Scott 12, Kamora Berry 4, Zion Coston 4, Chrisette King 2, Solis Morgan 2.


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