The Philadelphia Catholic League title is remaining on Solly Avenue.
After a 27-year hiatus without winning a PCL crown, No. 6 Father Judge won its second straight with a 55-52 victory against Neumann Goretti on Sunday at the Palestra.
Father Judge held off a late Saints comeback attempt in the final seconds. Neumann-Goretti’s Deshawn Yates hit a three-pointer with 18.8 seconds left to make it a one-point game, but the Crusaders sealed the win with free throws down the stretch.
Senior Derrick Morton-Rivera led the champions with 14 points and Nick Evans added 12. Junior Marquis Newson had a game-high 19 points for the Saints.
At one point this season, Father Judge was 4-8, and the Crusaders lost to Neumann Goretti, 71-66, on Feb. 1. But on Sunday, the sixth-seeded team cut down the nets.
“When we first got here, we talked about the Palestra and everybody thought we were crazy,” fifth-year Father Judge coach Chris Roantree said. “The players thought we were crazy. And then it just continued to build. You’ve got guys that have come through and accepted the culture, accepted being coached hard. … I think you have a community that’s invested. You have coaches who are invested. You have players who are invested. It makes it easy, but it also makes it enjoyable.”
Father Judge went on a 19-5 run that stretched over the first and second quarters to earn a 25-16 lead at halftime. Seven players wound up scoring in the title game for the winners.
Senior Max Moshinski, who has committed to Iona, dominated the paint for Father Judge, collecting a majority of the team’s rebounds.
It all came down to the fourth quarter when Neumann Goretti began to chip away at Father Judge’s double-digit lead, staying within three and five points in the final minutes. Yates’ three-pointer with 18.8 seconds left was the closest the Saints got to taking a lead since they started the game with a 4-0 advantage.
But Father Judge leaned on its defense to force Neumann Goretti into bad decisions and the Crusaders wrapped it up with free throws.
“[Already] being in those situations and being in those moments, when it comes, we’re not fazed,” junior Nazir Tyler said. “Give credit to our coaching staff as well. They schedule some tough games in December. So when we get into these moments in January, we’re ready for them. … None of us was nervous.”
Next up, Father Judge will prepare for the PIAA Class 6A state tournament, which begins on March 7.
“There are some guys that are waking up at 6.30 a.m. to get themselves to school, and they’re on time,” Roantree said. “But, they want to be a part of something special. And I think we have something special.”
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