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BETHLEHEM – Defending state champion Neumann-Goretti put its suffocating perimeter defense on display from the start Tuesday night while eliminating the last District 2 boys or girls basketball team still playing with a 52-26 Class 2A girls victory over Dunmore at Freedom High School.
The PIAA state semifinal victory represents the second straight season that the Saints clinched their berth in the final at Hershey’s Giant Center by beating District 2 opponents back-to-back in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds. Only the order changed this time around with Neumann-Goretti fighting off an upset bid by Holy Redeemer in the quarterfinals, then putting on impressive show in the semifinals.
“Their ability to switch one through five and not lose any size or quickness by doing so makes it really hard for you to move around out there,” Dunmore coach Ben O’Brien said. “I thought our players played as hard as they could, but Neumann’s defense was really tough.”
Syracuse recruit Alisha Kebbe was 7 for 10 while scoring 16 points. Morgan Lenahan went 3 for 5 from 3-point range while adding 13 and Chyna Nixon was 6 for 7 from the floor while scoring 12.
They were all part of a 53-percent shooting effort.
The Saints defense, however, was even more impressive.
After limiting Holy Redeemer to five shots in the last 12 minutes of a come-from-behind 48-39 victory, Neumann-Goretti allowed Dunmore just 25 shots – many of them less than ideal attempts – in the entire game while forcing 18 turnovers.
“It’s so difficult,” O’Brien said. “We were trying to establish an inside game.
“We thought if there’s one area where they’re maybe not as strong, it was potentially inside.
“We were able to get the ball inside to (Izzy Cooper) a few times, but they made even that very difficult. They’re just a great defensive team.”
Dunmore hit all three of its 3-pointers in the third quarter, including shots by Megan Hartshorn and Maddie Martin on the first two possessions of the second half, to get the deficit to single digits each time.
The Saints never let the Bucks get any closer than eight points in the second half and closed with a 14-0 fourth quarter.
With his team playing well defensively but unable to get off any of the shots necessary to create a comeback attempt, O’Brien pulled the starters with 2:36 left on the play that put Neumann-Goretti ahead by 20.
Cooper led the Lackawanna League Division 3 champion Bucks, who finished 27-3, with eight points.
Neumann-Goretti started the game with the same aggressive defensive approach it used to outscore Holy Redeemer 20-4 over the final 12 minutes of the quarterfinals.
The Saints went after the Bucks on the perimeter and made even getting off shots difficult.
After 6 ½ minutes, Dunmore had not hit the rim on a shot from the floor while Neumann-Goretti was taking a 14-2 lead. The Saints blocked four of the first five attempts and altered the other. At the same time, they were turning three steals into seven points.
Dunmore found some answers in isolating Cooper inside and drawing fouls with its ball-handling. Cooper hit her last four shots of the first half while scoring eight points and the Bucks went 5 for7 from the line.
Cooper cut the deficit to single digits three times in the second quarter. Following her last basket on a strong inside move with 2:20 left, Neumann-Goretti scored four of the last five points of the half for a 27-15 lead.
Neumann-Goretti (28-1) won for the 58th time in the last 59 games. The only loss came to Class 3A state finalist Archbishop Wood, another Philadelphia Catholic League team.
PIAA Class 2A Semifinal
Neumann-Goretti 52, Dunmore 26
N-G (52) — Morgan Lenahan 4 2-2 13, Alisha Kebbe 7 2-7 16, Kamiah Smalls 1 1-1 3, Jada Russell 1 0-0 2, Chyna Nixon 6 0-2 14, Jabria Ingram 1 2-2 4, Kiara Kroger 0 0-0 0, Daijah Parmley 0 0-0 0, Angel Ricks 1 0-0 2. Totals 21 7-14 52.
DUNMORE (26) — Izzy Cooper 4 0-0 8, Emily Sheehan 1 0-2 2, Megan Hartshorn 2 0-0 5, Erika Bistran 1 2-3 5, Maddie Martin 1 3-6 6, Kelly Quinn 0 0-0 0, Victoria Twomey 0 0-0 0, Gianna Delfino 0 0-0 0, Mara Walsh 0 0-0 0, Ally Borgia 0 0-0 0, Marina Pegula 0 0-0 0, Lisa Tallo 0 0-0 0, Maria Borgia 0 0-0 0, Julia Walsh 0 0-0 0, Brooke Frable 0 0-0 0. Totals 9 5-9 26.
Neumann-Goretti`16`11`11`14`—`52
Dunmore`6`9`11`0`—`26
Three-point goals — N-G 3 (Lenahan 3), DUN 3 (Hartshorn 1, Bistran 1, Martin 1).