Spartans defeat Neumann-Goretti

You can’t teach size. Neumann-Goretti’s five guard lineup had no answer for Wyomissing forward Amaya Stewart. The 6’1 sophomore piled up 25 points and 16 rebounds in a 40-33 victory over the Saints at Coatesville. The (28-2) Spartans are marching on to the PIAA-4A quarterfinals. Wyomissing struggled offensively in the first half. The District 3 champs managed just three field goals in 16 minutes. Neumann-Goretti led 7-4 after the opening period and 19-14 at halftime. The (11-15) Saints won the Class 3A state title a season ago. It was their fifth PIAA championship since 2015. The perennial power from the Philadelphia Catholic League went in front 27-22 on Kamora Berry’s second 3-pointer of the third quarter. The 5’7 freshman had a team-high nine points off the bench. Stewart’s layup before the buzzer got the Spartans within 27-26 entering the final period. She continued her dominance by scoring the first five points of the fourth quarter. Carryn Easley, a 5’4 sophomore, kept Neumann-Goretti in it with a pair of treys. The first team All-Catholic League pick hit a triple from the top of the key with just under two minutes remaining. After a timeout, Alexis Hardy responded with a transition layup to give Wyomissing a 36-33 edge. It was the sophomore guard’s only field goal of the night. Maddie Campbell, the lone senior starter, was fouled with 50 seconds to go. Her first attempt banked home. Her second shot hit the back iron, went straight up in the air and in. Those free throws gave the Spartans a 38-33 cushion. Campbell then came up with a steal. Stewart converted two foul shots with 36 seconds left to cap a 6-0 run. She dropped 17 points in the second half. Head coach Aaron Anders said spacing was a big key to their comeback. “Staying spread and allowing Amaya to dive from the top of the key to the post,” he replied. Annie McCaffrey provided six points and ten boards. The Spartans were +17 in rebounding margin. They ended up 14-22 from the charity stripe, while the Saints went 4-5. Sophomore Amya Scott was limited to seven points and only two in the second half. The first team All-Catholic League guard averages 16 ppg. Scott erupted for 24 points in the first round at North Schuylkill. Wyomissing held Neumann-Goretti 20 points under its season average. Easley (8) and 5’8 senior Amirah Hackney (7) combined for 15 points. The Saints connected five times from long distance. The Spartans didn’t make any 3-pointers. They didn’t need to with Stewart scoring at will. She was one point shy of matching her career high. “Amaya Stewart just introduced herself to the Catholic League and this is only the beginning,” stated Anders. Wyomissing will face WPIAL champion North Catholic in the quarterfinals on Saturday.