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Hanief Clay and Davion Hill produced 52 points Tuesday at South Williamsport. But these team leaders care more about winning than their stats.
So, it is the way the entire team played; the way the Knights moved the basketball which has them really excited. Clay and Hill are two of Pennsylvania’s top Class A guards and they shined against South, but so did the whole team. And if the two-time defending District 4 champions are going to reach their ultimate goal that is what it will take this season.
Neumann is off to a good start.
Four players scored in double figures and all six players in the rotation made a big impact as Neumann defeated South, 85-60 in a showdown between last year’s co-Mid Penn champions. Clay produced a game-high 27 points; Hill 25 and Neumann (1-0) led from late in the first quarter on against a determined team which also showed plenty of promise.
“We’re getting comfortable with each other and we’re building a lot of chemistry at practice. We’re working on moving the ball better and making the extra pass,” Clay said after also making five steals, grabbing four rebounds and adding three assists. “It’s all about making the extra pass and leading the team to that ‘W.'” That’s all that matters.”
Clay and Hill are the lone returning full-time starters from last year’s state quarterfinalist. Naseer Dymeck, Naz Smith and JerVal Weeks-Shuler all split time between starting and coming off the bench and played well against South. Smith scored 15 points off the bench, Dymeck added 12 and Weeks-Shuler ignited Neumann with his ferocious hustle, doing all the little things which do not show up in the boxscore but that produce wins.
Throw in Joe Savage pulling down a game-high 12 rebounds in his first start and Neumann revealed threats all over the court. That is the way this team likes it, too. Nobody really cares who is scoring and four players collected multiple assists, driving that home.
“That’s the thing we’ve been focusing on. We’re a really good team if they’re making that extra pass and everyone is playing unselfishly,” Neumann coach Jamie Spencer said. “I was proud of the guys because there wasn’t a lot of standing around. They were attacking and looking to drive and moving the ball.”
“When teams are focusing on me and Davion those guys always step up and play really well,” Clay said. “They did a good job tonight.”
South showed similar potential despite missing a starter. Sequan Roberts, Lee Habalar and Grant Bachman all played strong all-around games and a fairly young team learning new offensive and defensive systems under new coach Joe Simon looks like a one which could remain a Mid-Penn title contender.
What happened Tuesday was more about what Neumann did right than what South did wrong. The Mounties have played two of the area’s top teams, Neumann and Hughesville, early and that experience could pay dividends as this group settles in as the year progresses.
“I’m very pleased with how the guys are reacting to the tougher competition to start. I think it will set us up good in the long run,” Simon said. “You have to give the guys credit. We’re trying to cram a new system into three weeks, so we’re trying to find our spots where everybody can be their most productive.”
Hill and Clay have been productive since their first high school games and continued dazzling Tuesday. Hill surpassed 1,100 career points in his 46th high school game and the two-time first team all-state selection added eight rebounds, seven assists and five steals. Clay was a blur moving up and down the court and unleashed an effective outside shot he worked on all summer to complement his other aspects.
With all the other Knights playing well, too, Neumann asserted itself early and went on a 16-0 run between the first and second quarters, building a 16-point advantage. That lead ballooned to 19 at halftime and to 27 less than two minutes into the third quarter. Still, South never backed down and a big crowd seemed wildly entertained as each team took turns countering runs throughout the second half, while making exciting plays.
“South is going to win some games. They’re long, they’re athletic, they scrap. They defended us very well but you get those guys (Hill and Clay) out on the open floor and they just make plays,” Spencer said. “Some of the plays they make are amazing. What I like about us right now is everyone is playing unselfish.”
That includes Savage who made his first start a memorable one. A former guard who hit a growth spurt, Savage is now playing in the post and looked comfortable there. Savage was a difference-maker on the boards, blocked four shots and added two assists. Savage blocked two consecutive shots, the second leading to a Dymeck layup which helped fuel that game-changing 16-0 run in the first half.
Savage also has some quality offensive skills and can hit the outside shot. It’s only one game, but Savage has his teammates and Neumann fans excited.
“I’m impressed. That kid is going to be special,” Clay said. “He’s only a sophomore and I push him in practice. I took him under my wing and like him a lot. He has a bright future ahead. I like his game a lot. He hustles and he works hard.”
South worked hard, too, and cut a 27-point deficit to 17 early in the fourth quarter. Each time South rallied, however, Neumann responded. The Mounties, however, displayed some weapons who could cause teams problems throughout the season. Roberts is making an immediate impact in his first year at South and produced 19 points and seven rebounds. Habalar did a bit of everything, dealing seven assists in addition to scoring 16 points. Bachman was tough inside, scored eight quick points during a big South second-half run and finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
The pieces are there and it’s just a matter of making them all fit at this point.
“We had a bad first quarter that got us down against Hughesville and then we pretty much kept it even and tonight it was the second quarter where they built their lead and we kept it pretty even the rest of the way,” Simon said. “We’re one quarter away from putting together a full game and when we finally get to that point we’ll be all right.”
NEUMANN (85)
Davion Hill 11 3-5 25, Hanief Clay 12 1-3 27, Naseer Dymeck 4 3-3 12, Naz Smith 7 0-0 15, JerVal Weeks-Shuler 1 0-0 2, Joe Savage 2 0-0 4, Josiah Coleman 0 0-0 0. Totals 37 7-11 85.
SOUTH (60)
Sequan Roberts 7 4-6 19, Lee Habalar 6 3-4 16, Grant Bachman 7 0-0 14, Ben Manning 2 0-0 5, Alex Neidig 1 0-0 2, Caden Harris 0 2-2 2, Connor Apker 0 2-2 2, Gabe Bergstrom 0 0-0 0, Brandon Weaver 1 0-0 2, Rasheed Green 0 0-0 0. Totals 24 9-12 60.
Neumann 18 22 22 23-85
South 11 10 20 19=60
3-pointers: Neumann 4 (Clay 2, Dymeck, Smith); South 3 (Roberts, Habalar, Manning).
Records: Neumann 1-0, 1-0 Mid-Penn. South 1-2, 0-1.
JV Score: South 36-34.