PIAA Class 3A girls basketball championship preview: Bishop Canevin vs. Neumann-Goretti

By: HSSN Staff
Sunday, March 25, 2018 | 11:18 AM

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Class 3A girls

Bishop Canevin (24-4) vs. Neumann-Goretti (21-7)

6 p.m. Thursday, Giant Center, Hershey

On the air: PCN-TV

Coaches: Scott Dibble, Bishop Canevin; Andrea Peterson, Neumann-Goretti

Starting lineups

Bishop Canevin

No., name, position, height, class

10, Gilliam Gustine, G, 5-5, Jr.

12, Diajah Allen, G, 5-5, So.

32, Shamyjha Price, G, 5-9, Jr.

33, Lauren Gamble, G, 5-8, Sr.

34, Bri Allen, G, 5-7, Sr.

Neumann-Goretti

No., name, position, height, class

2, Kiara Koger, G, 5-6, Jr.

24, Dajiah Parmley, F, 5-11, Sr.

30, Tatiana Jones, F, 5-11, Jr.

32, Jabria Ingram, PG, 5-8, Sr.

42, Angel Ricks, G, 5-8, Sr.

Title-game history: Neumann-Goretti has won three straight PIAA championships, including Class 2A titles in 2015 and ‘16. Bishop Canevin has one state title, winning in Class 2A in 2013. The Crusaders lost to Neumann-Goretti, 62-56, last season in the Class 3A final.

Notable: Bishop Canevin claimed a third straight WPIAL championship earlier this month, defeating East Allegheny at Petersen Events Center. The Crusaders also defeated East Allegheny Monday in the PIAA semifinals. Bishop Canevin has won eight straight games and has averaged 52 points in the postseason while allowing 41.7. Bri Allen (15.4 ppg) and Price (14.5) led the Crusaders in scoring this season. Dibble is in his first season as Canevin's head coach after serving as an assistant coach the past two seasons. He has vast championship-game experience after leading the Villa Maria Academy girls to six title-game appearances in 12 years, winning three times. He was named the state's coach of the year in 2010. … District 12 runner-up Neumann-Goretti has played in the title game the past four seasons, losing to Seton LaSalle in 2014 before winning three straight. The Saints' second-leading scorer in the state playoffs is Diamond Johnson (15 ppg), who averaged 33 points for Phoebus in Hampton, Va., before transferring last month to Neumann-Goretti. Ingram is the Saints' leading scorer off the bench at nearly 20 ppg, and the Hartford recruit was the Philadelphia Catholic League's Most Valuable Player. Neumann-Goretti lost the District 12 title game to Imhotep Charter. The Saints are 104-13 over the past four seasons.

Predicted winner: Neumann-Goretti

Tags: Bishop Canevin