Neumann-Goretti 3-Peats in Holding off Bishop Canevin in Girls 3-A

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, March 25, 2017 | 2:53 PM

Defeating a two-time defending state champion is no easy task. Bishop Canevin seemed up to the task getting a double-digit lead over Neumann-Goretti in the first quarter. However, the Saints’ pressure defense forced 26 Bishop Canevin turnovers, and despite a great fourth quarter comeback attempt, the Lady Crusaders fell to Neumann-Goretti 62-56 in the PIAA Class 3A Girls Basketball Championship.

Bishop Canevin came out hot right out of the gate, scoring the first six points of the contest and forcing a quick time out from Neumann-Goretti.  The Lady Crusaders drove the lane at ease, as Brionna Allen and Shamayjha Price were able to get around and through Saints defenders at will in the early stages.  Lauren Gamble and Sarah Green also got into the action in the opening stanza with drives to the hoop. Canevin shot 8-9 from the field in the first quarter, but only 1-5 from the free throw line.

Bishop Canevin extended their lead to 18-6 with less than a minute to play in the opening quarter. That’s when Neumann-Goretti’s Ashley Jones began to catch fire. The West Virginia University commit, who did not start, hit a layup with ten seconds left, then a runner from 30 feet at the buzzer to cut the Bishop Cannevin lead to 18-11.

Jones would stay hot, as she would score the next six points (11 straight) for Neumann-Goretti .  Her put-back of a missed free throw with 5:10 remaining in the second quarter tied the game at 20-20 and forced a Bishop Canevin timeout. Gillian Gustine knocked down a three pointer for the Lady Crusaders out of the timeout, ending a 14-2 Saints run.

But it was all Neumann-Goretti from there, as the Saints’ pressure defense began to get to Bishop Canevin. At the start of the second quarter, Neumann-Goretti switched to a full court pressure 2-1-2 zone that forced numerous Bishop Canevin turnovers.  The Lady Crusaders committed 11 turnovers in the second quarter, many in the backcourt, and Neumann-Goretti capitalized. Chyna Dixon’s layup with 1:30 remaining gave Neumann-Goretti their first lead of the game at 26-25. They extended their lead to five before Lauren Gamble drained a three-pointer at the buzzer to cut the halftime deficit to 30-28.

Turnovers continued to plague Bishop Canevin in the second half,  which led to more easy opportunities for Neumann-Goretti. The pressure defense caused nine more Canevin turnovers in the third quarter, including three 10-second violations.  Chyna Dixon, an Ole Miss commit, was the main beneficiary of those turnovers as she cashed in 11 of her 19 points. Neumann-Goretti outscored Bishop Canevin 22-9 in the third quarter and extended their lead to 15 at the end of the frame, 52-37. After going 11-13 from the field in the first half, Bishop Canevin went 3-15 in the third quarter.

With 4:30 remaining, Canevin trailed 58-42. Instead of throwing in the towel, the Lady Crusaders battled back and turned what could have been a lopsided result into a close game late. Bishop Canevin again was able to drive the lane and draw contact almost at will, and rattled off a 14-2 run over the next four minutes. Price, Allen, and Sarah Green all made a pair of free throws in the run for Bishop Canevin. With less than a minute to play, Dixon missed the front end of a one-and-one for Neumann-Goretti and Shamayjha Price’s runner made the score 60-56 with 30 seconds remaining.

Another missed front-end, this one from Jones, gave Bishop Canevin the chance to make it a one possession game. However, Gillan Gustine’s three-pointer was blocked by Minika Glenn. She would miss her front-end, but got her own rebound and put-back to end the Crusader comeback.

Bishop Canevin gave everything they could to the two-time defending champions, and had Neumann-Goretti on their heels in the early going and again down the stretch. 

“I’m really proud of our girls…we never give up,” Bishop Canevin coach Tim Joyce said after the game. The team was prepared, ready to go, and excited to play for a state championship. It was the first trip to the Giant Center for any of the players on the Bishop Canevin roster.

Bishop Canevin ends their season with a 23-6 record, a WPIAL Championship, and a PIAA runner-up  trophy. The Lady Crusaders will return three starters from this year’s squad for the 2017-18 season.  Congratulations to seniors Zoe Woods and Sarah Green, and the rest of the Bishop Canevin Lady Crusaders on a great season!

Score by Quarter:
Bishop Canevin         18   –   10   –   9   –   19   —   56
Neumann-Goretti      11   –   19   –   22   –   14   —   62

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