PIAA-AA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: District 12 champ Neumann-Goretti Saints (29-0) vs. WPIAL champ Seton-La Salle Rebels (26-4).
WHERE/WHEN: Hershey’s Giant Center, Friday, noon.
HOME BASE: Neumann-Goretti is situated in South Philadelphia, and the Saints won their first Philadelphia Catholic League championship in 36 years compliments of a 54-46 victory over PIAA-AAA state finalist Archbishop Wood on Feb. 26. Goretti added a District 12 title to its resume on March 1 with a 79-34 victory over Imhotep Charter, and South Philly's Saints are the lone undefeated team still standing in the state. … Seton-La Salle is located in Mt. Lebanon, which is about seven miles from downtown Pittsburgh. Rebels rolled to the WPIAL-AA Section 4 title with a 12-0 record — two games clear of last year’s state champ, Bishop Canevin — and Seton-La Salle won WPIAL honors with a 55-34 victory over previously undefeated Burrell on Feb. 28.
THE COACHES: Letty Santarelli leads Neumann-Goretti; Spencer Stefko guides Seton-La Salle. … Santarelli was an NCAA First-Team All-American during her playing days for Immaculata University, and she’s well known for her coaching prowess in AAU and CYO circuits. … This is Stefko’s first season with the Rebels; he came on board after a successful stint at Chartiers Valley, where he led the Colts to the WPIAL playoffs in his last five years in a row on the job. Stefko’s Char Valley teams went 137-51 in his seven seasons, with a pair of WPIAL section titles. He resigned his post there, but according to reports, the school opened up the position and Stefko said he wasn’t given a reason why. … Stefko is Seton-La Salle’s third coach in as many seasons. He followed Dennis Squeglia, who succeeded John Ashalou. Squeglia guided the Rebels to the 2012 PIAA-AA championship with a 31-0 record.
HOW THEY GOT HERE
Neumann-Goretti
District 3 No. 3 Camp Hill — W 74-36
District 11 champ Minersville — W 60-42
District 1 champ St. Basil Academy — W 64-29
District 3 champ Dunmore — W 55-30
Seton-La Salle
District 6 No. 3 Blairsville — W 58-37
WPIAL No. 4 Greensburg Central Catholic — W 61-43
WPIAL No. 3 Bishop Canevin — W 65-44
WPIAL runner-up Burrell — W 48-37
CLASS AA PENNLIVE STATE RANKINGS
NEUMANN-GORETTI PROBABLE STARTERS
3 G Sianni Martin — 5-7 junior
5 G Ciani Cryor — 5-4 junior
23 G Tanesha Sutton — 5-8 senior (Duquesne recruit)
21 F A.J. Timbers — 5-11 junior
10 F Emmanuela Awobajo — 6-0 senior
SETON-LA SALLE PROBABLE STARTERS
12 G Cassidy Walsh — 5-9 junior (Pitt recruit)
3 G Shaunay Edmonds — 5-4 sophomore
5 G Nicolete Newman — 5-7 junior
24 F Yacine Diop — 5-10 senior (Pitt recruit)
20 F Naje Gibson — 6-0 senior (Pitt recruit)
ONE TO WATCH: Seton-La Salle point guard Cassidy Walsh makes the Rebels tick. She is a consummate lead guard, whose top priority is setting up Seton-La Salle’s attack and finding open teammates for easy shots. Fair warning: Don’t foul Walsh late in the game; she’s a 90 percent free-throw shooter. What makes this matchup so intriguing is that Walsh will be going up against an equally quick and talented point in Goretti’s Ciani Cryor. If you like backcourt play, you’ll love this showdown.
JUMP SHOTS: Goretti hasn’t lost since a 51-49 double-OT setback to Notre Dame-Green Pond in a PIAA-AA state-playoff second-round game on March 15, 2013. … Seton-La Salle actually started this season 0-2 and 2-3; Rebels lost to Paul VI (Va.) and Our Lady of Good Counsel (Md.) at the Art Turner Tournament in Fairfax, Va., to open the season. Then came a loss to Northwood Academy (S.C.) in the first round of the Crescom Bank Invitational in Myrtle Beach on Dec. 17. Rebels then rattled off 16 wins in a row before falling to West Mifflin in the regular-season finale on Feb. 10. Seton-La Salle has won eight games in a row since. … While Goretti will be making its first appearance in a state-championship game, this is Seton-La Salle’s third trip to a PIAA finale; Rebels won a Class AAAA title in 1984 with a 55-53 win over Strath Haven before their 2012 conquest, compliments of a 71-47 Class AA victory over York Catholic. … Seton-La Salle’s Diop is from Senegal, and she is a member of Senegal’s U-18 National Team. She transferred in from Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. … Rebels’ Gibson is the great-granddaughter of Negro League baseball legend Josh Gibson. ... Cryor and Timbers transferred into Goretti from Prep Charter.
THE PLOT: For us, this game boils down to which team can control tempo. Goretti wants to play at warp speed, get the ball in Cryor’s hands and run. With Walsh running the show, Seton-La Salle likes to spread the wealth and take advantage of matchups. Rebels will run, too; Seton-La Salle will pressure you in the open court and try and get points off turnovers. Can the Rebels force Cryor to turn the ball over and, more importantly, get the Saints out of warp speed and play at a more manageable pace? That is the question. Best tempo wins here.