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Hill surges late and helps Neumann rally past Troy

By Chris Masse 8 min read

A few seconds after making a dramatic steal, Davion Hill soared high into the air and threw down an emphatic, game-clinching dunk. It was an appropriate ending because the St. John Neumann two-time all-state guard played like Superman over the game’s final 1 minute, 54 seconds. He did everything else during that span, so might as well show he can fly, too.

After Troy built a four-point lead Tuesday at the Catholic Community Center, Hill put on a show, scoring nine points, making two steals, hitting the go-ahead free throws and helping Neumann rally for a thrilling 79-72 victory against the undefeated Trojans. Despite foul trouble, Hill scored 33 points, including those nine during the game-winning rally as Neumann won a wildly entertaining game in front of a boisterous crowd which filled every section at Neumann and had this early-season showdown feeling like a state tournament game.

“He just makes plays,” Neumann coach Jamie Spencer said. “Every time.”

“When it got down to the last couple minutes I just knew I had to pick it up and go all out for my team,” Hill said. “I feel like I’m a big leader for this team and I’ve been doing that for quite some time.”

Hill earned first team Class A all-state honors as a freshman and sophomore. He did so, not just by putting up ridiculous numbers, but also by consistently shining in the biggest moments. He certainly did so again Tuesday after being named an all-state football player earlier in the day.

The thing is, that proverbial cape he put on late in the game was passed back and forth among so many different players on both teams in a game which featured six fourth-quarter lead changes and dynamic athletes all over the court. Neumann point guard Hanief Clay dazzled, scoring 27 points and dealing nine assists. He was especially fabulous when Hill was in foul trouble and missed the final five minutes of the second quarter and parts of the third.

JerVal Weeks-Shuler, Naseer Dymeck, Joe Savage and Naz Smith also left big imprints on this game. Then there was Troy and all-state guard Ty Barrett who hit enough difficult, long-range shots to make Steph Curry envious. Barrett produced a game-high 35 points and hit six 3-pointers, scoring 22 second-half points. Ethan Vannoy added 18 points and all-state lineman Mason Imbt was tough in the middle with 14.

This was a heavily hyped game between Class A and AAA district title contenders and instead of living up to it, this contest may have exceeded it. Troy stormed back from a nine-point third-quarter deficit and seemed poised to win before Hill caught fire and put an exclamation point on what was a riveting battle from start to finish.

“That ending was amazing,” Spencer said. “I’m really proud of the guys. They played well (Monday) night at Milton and tonight was great. They had a lot of energy, a lot of heart and it was fun. It was a great atmosphere.”

The game’s first 30 minutes were non-stop action and the only thing it needed at that point was an exciting conclusion. Hill provided just that.

After Troy went up 71-67, Neumann was in dire need of a big basket and Hill delivered, draining a 3-pointer. After Neumann’s defense made a stand, Hill was fouled 39 seconds later and calmly drained both ends of a 1-and-1, giving Neumann a lead it did not relinquish. Clay made a huge steal with 52 seconds left and fed Smith for a layup as Neumann went up, 74-71.

A Barrett free throw pulled Troy within 74-72 and the Trojans (5-1) had a chance to tie or take the lead on their ensuing possession. Hill would not let it happen. Coming off the left wing, Hill made a steal near the top of the key and raced in for a layup. Clay added a foul shot with 13.6 seconds remaining and made it 77-72. That set the stage for the grand finale as Hill stole the ball in the backcourt, exploded off the left elbow and had the Catholic Community Center rocking as well as the rim with his clinching dunk.

“I feel like everything was coming together. When i hit the 3, I thought, ‘This can’t be how it ends. I hit this 3 for a reason,'” Hill said. “I came out hard and went to the line and I knew I had to hit those two free throws. In my head, when I hit them I knew we could definitely win the game.”

Clay displayed that belief as well and willed Neumann while Hill was sidelined. The senior point guard continued his super start and scored 14 points in the middle quarters, including eight after Hill went out, helping the Knights take a 40-39 lead after the lead changed hands six times in the second quarter. Clay electrified in the second half as well, dealing seven of his nine assists, grabbing four of his six rebounds and scoring 13 more points.

He and Barrett went back and forth like Dominique Wilkins and Larry Bird did in the 1988 NBA playoffs, exchanging three straight field goals during one scintillating fourth-quarter stretch. Each time Barrett put Troy up two before Clay answered to tie the game, the last one evening the score at 66.

“Me being a senior, I have to be a leader. I knew what I had to do. I had to get my teammates involved and take charge,” Clay said. “It was a good high school battle, a good little dual. That was good. I like that. It brought the crowd alive and we just went back and forth. He’s a good kid. I like how he plays.”

Barrett entered the game averaging 34 points and did one better Tuesday. The crazy thing is Neumann defended Barrett fairly well. Different players often stuck to him like glue and were constantly aware of where he was and where he was going.

There just simply was no defense for some of the shots Barrett made. The senior guard drained four pull-up NBA-range 3-pointers and consistently knocked down difficult turnaround jumpers with defenders in his face. Barrett made six 3-pointers, helped spark Troy’s comeback and broke a tie with three foul shots, giving Troy a 69-66 lead late. Vannoy added two more foul shots, putting Troy ahead, 71-67.

“I’ve been to a few of his games and I knew we weren’t going to stop him. We just had to try and slow him down,” Hill said. “You’re not going to stop a guy like that. He’s tough, so you just have to hope for the best and try and come out with the win.”

Neumann did so by not growing frustrated despite Barrett’s shooting display. The Knights grew more determined and kept answering. Hill and Clay were sensational but each Neumann player Spencer used embraced his role and carried it out well.

Smith played some excellent defense, Savage had some big offensive rebounds and Dymeck produced seven points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. And although Troy scored 72 points, Neumann rarely gave up anything easy. Ultimately, its defense helped win the game over those last two minutes.

“I was so proud of how we played on the defensive end. We played with a lot of heart,” Spencer said. “Barrett is the real deal. We contested a lot of his shots and he made some incredible shots, but the guys really hung in there.”

Weeks-Shuler was a major reason why. The senior forward does not score a lot but he does everything else and his contributions were immense against Troy. Weeks-Shuler grabbed nine rebounds, consistently kept possessions alive, made a key fourth-quarter free throw and neutralized Imbt, a St. Francis bound brick wall who can feast in the paint.

“He (Shuler) was very big for us. He doesn’t get mentioned a lot, but he does a lot,” Clay said. “I appreciate him, especially being our big man. He helped the team a lot, especially on defense. He does all the little things and it helps a lot to get us wins.”

Neumann won its third straight game, but there is no time to savor the latest win. The Knights face another stern challenge Thursday against District 4 Class AAAA title contender Lewisburg, also riding a three-game winning streak. That will be the third game in four nights against a tough bigger school team.

Neumann likes the challenge and also understands the big picture. These games are the fun ones and also the ones which could help the two-time defending District 4 Class A champions get where they want to go come late this winter.

“We built a lot of chemistry this game. We learned a lot,” Clay said. “We played together and came together as a team and got the W. Down the stretch it’s going to make us better when we play good teams like that.”

TROY (72)

Ty Barrett 11 7-8 35, Mason Imbt 6 2-2 14, Ethan Vannoy 6 3-3 18, Zeb Oldroyd 1 0-0 3, Jackson Taylor 0 0-0 0, Devin Sellock 0 0-0 0, Colin Loveland 1 0-0 2. Totals 26 12-13 72.

NEUMANN (79)

Davion Hill 13 4-6 33, Hanief Clay 13 1-2 27, Naseer Dymeck 3 0-0 7, Joe Savage 3 0-0 6, JerVal Weeks-Shuler 1 2-4 4, Naz Smith 1 0-0 2, Kane Wright 0 0-0 0, Josiah Coleman 0 0-0 0. Totals 34 7-12 79.

Troy 20 19 17 16-72

Neumann 25 15 17 22-79

3-pointers: Troy 10 (Barrett 6, Vannoy 3, Oldroyd); Neumann 4 (Hill 3, Dymeck).

Records: Neumann 4-1. Troy 5-1.

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