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St. John Neumann girls make history by claiming league championship on Friday night

By Chris Masse 6 min read

Two decorated, four-year starters graduated last June. St. John Neumann also did not have a coach less than a week before winter practices began.

And yet these resilient, determined Knights have made history.

Gigi Parlante produced her 12th double-double, Lizzie Weller scored a season-high 16 points and Neumann captured its first league championship Friday night, defeating defending Mid-Penn champion Northwest, 57-37, at Frank Lupacchino Court. The Knights (15-4, 11-0) secured the Mid Penn-Western Division championship and will host the East champion (either Millville, Northwest or Benton), Saturday, Feb. 17 for the overall conference crown. The boys' game that night will be first, featuring Northwest against Muncy.

In a year, where many thought the program would take a step back, Neumann keeps surging forward.

"We've all been looking forward to that banner," Weller said after finishing a rebound shy of a double-double. "It's really great for us. The whole time I've been at this school, we haven't made it this far, so it's really big for all of us on the team. We're all very excited."

Neumann has two league games remaining next week, but with the head-to-head tiebreaker over Muncy, it is ensured of playing in the Mid-Penn title game for the first time. It is the latest first for a program which keeps raising the bar.

Last winter, Neumann reached its first District 4 Class A final, the state tournament in consecutive years for the first time and the state quarterfinals for the first time. Now, these Knights, featuring just two senior starters, have done something which even that record-setting team didn't.

"They're fighters. I'm glad they didn't give up after we missed a lot of shots early," Neumann coach Jaiden Cioffi said.. "I'm glad they acted like they were playing for a chance to clinch the championship and they came out and did that."

Northwest (10-7) made Neumann earn the championship the hard way and that likely makes it feel even more rewarding. Point guard Ashlyn Hermanofski played an outstanding game, scoring 21 points and making six steals and Neumann was unable to shake the pesky Rangers until later in the fourth quarter despite leading from early in the first quarter on.

Neumann also dealt with some foul trouble early on and went cold in the second quarter but it still took a 27-18 halftime lead. Shots that normally fall may not have been, but that did not dull Neumann's determination and the Knights kept answering whenever it looked like Northwest may take a big cut into that halftime advantage.

"We had a rough start, but we pulled it together," Weller said. "It's really great that our bench from last year is able to step up and fill those roles. Everyone is definitely contributing their best and we're meshing well together."

"We didn't play that great, but they came out and closed the game," Cioffi said. "They never gave up when we missed shots and they found a way to win."

Parlante, Weller and Tutler have helped Neumann do a lot of winning during their high school careers and, following last year's state quarterfinal run, the Knights are four victories from breaking the program record for wins in a season. That trio helps form the backbone, but every player has her fingerprints upon the team's success. That includes sophomore starters Bre Nixon, who scored five-second half points and made four steals, respectively.

Sophomore reserve Kallee Johnson also stepped up against Northwest. After Nixon picked up her third foul in the second quarter, Johnson came in and provided a lift, especially in the post. She scored four first-half points, added six rebounds and was a big part of a defense which limited Northwest to 10 or fewer points in all four quarters.

"She comes out and she does exactly what I tell her. I tell her to play defense, give me some hustle and just go and rebound the ball and have fun. She did that tonight," Cioffi said. "She could be a force. She's young and she just needs to keep getting that experience and keep getting better every day. If she can help us like that come playoff time with a little consistency, we can be elite."

Parlante leads the area in double-doubles and finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, four blocks and three steals. Tutler ran the offense and saw the court well, totaling 12 points, six assists and five rebounds.

Weller helped Neumann drop the hammer in the fourth quarter. The three-year starter relentlessly competed throughout the game and scored four consecutive quick points to put Neumann ahead 53-37 with less than two minutes remaining while fueling a game-ending 10-0 run. She also moved within six rebounds of 500 for her career, blocked four shots and added two assists.

"I felt good and I was confident," Weller said "I was thinking about turning what I did today and the whole season and using that going forward as we go toward the Mid-Penn (title) game and into districts."

That is the focus now. Neumann earned a coveted championship banner but it would like to add a lot more. So, the Knights will take the weekend and enjoy making history before returning Monday and resuming work toward their next goals.

"We hit a milestone tonight, but we just have to stay focused and look to the future. We're looking for more than just the Mid-Penn," Cioffi said. "Don't get me wrong, this is a great milestone but we're coming for districts. We're coming to make double history, I guess you would call it. I told them that if you want to make it anywhere in the playoffs and into states, you have to realize that you need to get better every single day and practice with that mentality."

NORTHWEST (37)

Ashlyn Hermanosfki 7 5-10 21, Jordin Bowman 1 2-2 4, Ava Runkle 3 0-0 8, ArReya Williams 1 0-0 2, Callie Moyer 1 0-0 2, Auria Daniels 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 7-12 37.

NEUMANN (57)

Gigi Parlante 6 4-8 17, Niyah Tutler 4 1-2 12, Lizzie Weller 6 4-8 16, Bre Nixon 2 0-0 5, Sophie Reid 0 0-0 0, Kallee Johnson 1 2-2 4, Emma Gallew 0 0-0 0, Adelyn Dawes 0 0-0 0, Savanah Smith 0 0-0 0, Tatum Wesneski 1 0-0 3. Totals 20 11-20 57.

Northwest 10 8 10 9--37

Neumann 17 10 13 17--57

3-pointers: Northwest 4 (Hermanofski 2, Runkle 2); Neumann 6 (Tutler 3, Parlante, Nixon, Wesneski)

Records: Neumann 15-4, 11-0 Mid-Penn. Northwest 10-7.

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