Preview: Cardinal O'Hara Lions vs. Neumann-Goretti Saints
Cardinal O'Hara is on a three-game streak of home wins, while Neumann-Goretti is on a eight-game streak of away wins (dating back to last season): one of those streaks is about to end. The Cardinal O'Hara Lions will take on the Neumann-Goretti Saints at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the pair will really light up the scoreboard.
Last Friday, Cardinal O'Hara was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 73-67 to Father Judge.
Meanwhile, Neumann-Goretti can now show off seven landslide victories after their most recent contest on Thursday. They blew past Archbishop Wood 83-61. Given Neumann-Goretti's advantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania basketball rankings (they are ranked second, while Archbishop Wood is ranked 36th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Neumann-Goretti's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Stephon Ashley-Wright, who scored 22 points along with six assists and six rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Ashley-Wright has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Larenzo Jerkins, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and 13 rebounds.
Cardinal O'Hara has not been sharp recently, as they've lost four of their last five matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-6 record this season. As for Neumann-Goretti, their win bumped their record up to 12-0.
Cardinal O'Hara and Neumann-Goretti were neck-and-neck when the teams last played back in February of 2023, but Cardinal O'Hara came up empty-handed after a 61-60 loss. Can Cardinal O'Hara avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
