MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent St. John Neumann's GiGi Parlante (12) and Shanniyah Tutler (20) are all smiles after the team's win over Meadowbrook Christian for the District IV Class A championship Thursday night at Montoursville.

As Meadowbrook Christian built a six-point second quarter lead, St. John Neumann forward Gigi Parlante thought not about basketball, but a sermon.

Father David Bechtel had addressed the Knights earlier, focusing his talk around character. Those words called out to Parlante at a crucial time and the senior leader let her character start shining through. Her teammates followed that lead and Neumann dominated the game’s final 19 minutes, surging past Meadowbrook and winning the District 4 Class A championship, 44-27.

Parlante scored 20 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and made six steals, helping Neumann capture its first district title. As has been the case all season, though, it was how Parlante did so which mattered most.

“Father Bechtel told us you can make a career out of sports but the thing you want to be remembered for most is your character. When I was getting frustrated I just had to think back to that,” Parlante said. “We’re going to be OK if there’s teamwork, leadership and positivity all around. I had to keep my cool and that’s exactly what we all did.”

That is not surprising. Parlante sets the tone and her coolness under fire has helped a team many doubted could build on last year’s success blaze a new trail and make history four different ways. It also has earned the Knights (22-4) a state tournament first round home game Saturday against High Point Baptist.

Neumann coach Jaiden Cioffi laughed when thinking about how much this team literally follows Parlante’s lead. He described a practice setting where Parlante would start warming up and all the teammates would do what she was doing. When Parlante took a break, they took a break and when she started back up, they followed.

Attitude often reflects leadership and Neumann has found an ideal leader in Parlante. The four-year starter fills up the stat sheet, but the way she makes her teammates better has been her best quality. That has played a major role in the Knights entering states on an 18-game winning streak while winning the first league, conference and district titles in program history, in addition to a record 22 games.

“She’s done such a good job as a leader,” point guard Shanniyah Tutler said. “She’s helped us so much.”

“As a leader, she’s incredible,” Cioffi said. “Gigi has been great as a leader off the court and on the court. That’s how she’s stepped up.”

Parlante is a four-year starter and made a big impact in each of her first three seasons. Following a one-win campaign in 2020, Parlante’s arrival helped Neumann return to the playoffs a year later. The next season the Knights reached states for the first time since 2014 and then advanced to both the district final and state quarterfinals for the first time a year ago.

On those teams, however, players like Sheiana Tutler and Lily Reid were the team leaders. Entering her senior year, Parlante knew she would have a different role this season. She and co-captain Lizzie Weller would have to be leaders, not followers.

And that leadership would have to go beyond scoring, rebounding and defense. With only three players returning who had significant varsity experience, Parlante would have to set an example each day. Neumann’s season is a testament to how well Parlante has embraced that role.

“Last year Sheiana did that. With her leaving I had the pressure put on me that I had to take over her spot. Last year she led us to this (district final), so I had to come out and lead,” Parlante said. “Even when I’m not doing well, you can tell my whole team had my back. That’s what a real team does. There was teamwork the whole way through.”

That Parlante deflected her answer back to the team is not surprising. She has become a consummate team player and, as a result, so have all the Knights. That has helped a team which did not have a coaching staff until four days prior to winter practices starting thrive throughout the season.

“Gigi has been very important. She’s our No. 1 leader,” Weller said. “She always talks everyone up and gets us ready to play.”

Parlante has produced a district-high 18 double-doubles, while averaging 15.7 points and 14.2 rebounds per game. More important, she has played poised and mature.

Putting up big numbers is something Parlante has done throughout her scholastic career. The problem the previous three seasons was Parlante had trouble turning off the competitive juices and picked up silly fouls, forcing her to the bench for key stretches. With Reid and Sheiana Tutler graduating, Neumann could not have that anymore.

So, Parlante did what can be hard for athletes to do. She changed the way she played. The senior still relentlessly competes but is smarter about how she does so and has made staying on the court a top priority.

“Gigi has matured not just as a basketball player but as a person so much. I talked to her earlier in the season and I told her it can’t be like last year. You can’t be on the bench in the first half because you have three or four fouls,” Cioffi said. “You have to know that to win these games you have to stay on your feet, you’re going to have to slide your feet. You just have to be more mature and have more character and stay down and that’s what she’s done.”

Parlante is one of few area players who has topped 1,000 rebounds, reaching that milestone earlier this season. That total is a tribute to her work ethic but Parlante producing the numbers she has this season is all about her other positive attributes.

Put it all together and the best way to describe Parlante is by simply saying she is a winner. And that is just fine with her.

“It’s the character,” Parlante said. “I don’t want to be remembered as the girls who had 1,000 points or 1,000 rebounds or whatever. I want to be remembered as the district champions.”

That title banner Neumann will soon hang assures that will be the case. But Parlante’s legacy will carry beyond that championship. The way she has achieved personal and team goals already has helped sophomores like Sophie Reid and Bre Nixon make big impacts as first-year starters.

Next year, Tutler and those two will be looked at as team leaders. Parlante has handed them the blueprint for excelling in that department.

“She’s calm, cool and collected. She comes to us coaches and says, ‘Let’s try this,'” Cioffi said. “She’s the first one to speak up and that’s great because you do need a vocal leader. As much as I would love a lead by example leader, you need a vocal leader and she’s been going a great job with both this year.”