Seasons change, rosters rearrange, but somehow basketball on Broad and Vine remains the same.
Roman Catholic, the two-time defending Catholic League champion, will defend its title Sunday at the Palestra. The Cahillites clubbed Devon Prep, 66-42, in the first game of the semifinal doubleheader at the Palestra on Wednesday night.
“Our guys played really well on a big stage,” said Roman coach Chris McNesby.
For Roman, the key ingredient was stingy defense in the second half. Sammy and Shareef Jackson each scored a team-high 19 points. But the Cahillites’ catalyst was the defensive intensity of sophomore guard Tyler Sutton.
“He just took it on himself to get up,” McNesby said.
Sutton told his teammates that he would focus on facilitating because Devon Prep seemed determined to slow him offensively.
So, the sophomore guard did the little things that don’t always stand out in a box score. He blocked three shots in the first half, was disruptive in passing lanes, and hit the floor for loose balls.
“I wasn’t scoring much and that’s fine,” Sutton said. “I just wanted to get my teammates involved. I just wanted to play defense and impact the game as much as I could.”
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Both Jacksons agreed that when one player’s defensive intensity picks up, it propels the rest of the team.
“That’s one of the biggest things about playing here is the defense and the aggressiveness,” said junior wing Sammy Jackson.
“Feeding off that is one of the best feelings, especially playing at the Palestra in this crowd, and getting hype. There’s nothing like it.”
Roman led, 28-22, at intermission, but the lead swelled to 49-34 entering the fourth quarter.
Father Judge knocks off St. Joe’s Prep
In the second game, Father Judge stymied St. Joseph’s Prep, 89-61.
Crusaders junior Rocco Westfield hit seven three-pointers, while senior guard Kevair Kennedy finished in double-figures in points, rebounds, and assists.
The Crusaders advanced to their first PCL title game since winning the crown in 1998. The Cahillites bounced the Crusaders from the semifinals last season, but Judge won the matchup earlier this season.
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