PIAA GIRLS BASKETBALL: Neumann-Goretti ends Scranton Prep’s season in 4A quarters
BETHLEHEM — For three quarters, Scranton Prep battled and hung with Neumann-Goretti.
But a run by the Saints to open the fourth quarter proved too much to overcome and the Classics lost to the District 12 runners-up, 59-48, in the PIAA Class 4A girls basketball quarterfinals Saturday afternoon at Liberty High School’s Memorial Gymnasium.
Amya Scott, Carryn Easley and Reginna Baker all had 18 points for Neumann-Goretti (24-4). Easley, an all-state selection last season in Class 4A, also had nine rebounds, two assists and two steals. Scott also had five assists.
Senior Maya Jenkins led Scranton Prep with 22 points. Freshman Chloe Mamera added 14 points, six rebounds and four assists for the Classics, who were trying to return to the Class 4A final. Instead, their season ends at 25-2.
“They’re a great team and we wish them the best the rest of the tournament,” Jenkins said. “We knew we had to get stops, but they’re great players. There’s only so much you can do to slow them down.”
Every time it appeared Neumann-Goretti was about to take control, Scranton Prep clawed its way back.
A basket by Scott with 1:07 left in the third quarter gave the Saints a 39-34 lead. But Bella Dennebaum hit a 3-pointer and Jenna Hillebrand added a free throw to send the Classics into the fourth quarter only down by one.
However, Scranton Prep went scoreless for the first four minutes of the final quarter, shooting 0 for 5 with one turnover. That enabled Neumann-Goretti to go on its decisive run.
Baker started it with a basket off an assist from Scott. Baker then reciprocated, passing the ball out to Scott beyond the 3-point line. Scott hit the shot, was fouled and completed the four-point play.
Consecutive baskets by Baker capped the run to give the Saints a 49-38 lead with 4:29 left.
“I thought that a couple bounces of the ball at the start of the fourth quarter (were the difference),” Scranton Prep coach Bob Beviglia said. “The three-plus-one was the play that kind of turned things in the wrong direction.”
Jenkins did her best to try to rally the Classics, scoring their first eight points of the quarter before fouling out with 46.1 seconds remaining. But with Scranton Prep forced to foul, the Saints sealed the victory by going 8 for 8 from the free-throw line down the stretch.
“I can’t say enough about the game that Jenkins played,” Beviglia said. “That’s why she’s all-state twice. She made play after play after play after play.”
Neumann-Goretti scored the first five points and took an 8-2 lead. But Scranton Prep answered and took a 9-8 lead on a basket by Mamera. The Saints scored the final five points of the quarter to lead after one, 14-9.
“I was thrilled with our guts and how resilient we were,” Beviglia said. “A lot of teams, you come out against a team like this and get down, 5-0, and it’s done. They just knock you out and it’s over. Our kids aren’t that way. They regrouped, we came back, we got a lead. But to their (Neumann-Goretti’s) credit, they made plays.”
In the second quarter, the Classics held leads of 18-17, 20-18, 22-20 and 24-23 in large part due to the play of Mamera. She had two baskets, three assists and three defensive rebounds in the quarter.
“The seniors set the bar high in the first few minutes, so I had to come out and match the same intensity,” Mamera said. “We took advantage of a mismatch and my teammates worked hard to get it inside.”
Beviglia is thrilled at the thought of having Mamera for three more years.
“For a freshman, she didn’t take a step back playing in a game like this for the first time in her life,” Beviglia said. “I was extremely happy with her response.”
A free throw by Chrisette King and a basket by Baker gave Neumann-Goretti a 26-24 halftime lead.
The loss ended the careers of Scranton Prep’s five senior starters: Jenkins, Dennebaum, Hillebrand, Claire McGrath and Ashlyn Moore. Beviglia said he told them after the game that while the loss stings, it will fade and only the wins, trophies, championships and smiles will be remembered.
“The five seniors, we knew this could be our last game and it was, so we just kept fighting,” said Jenkins, her voice cracking. “This game means the world to us. Playing with each other is really important. We love each other.”
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