Madness ensued at the Palestra on Monday night as Roman Catholic (Philadelphia) took down Archbishop Ryan (Philadelphia) 46-45 in overtime of the Philadelphia Catholic League championship.
Roman Catholic led 44-42 before senior Ryan Everett of Archbishop Ryan drilled a corner 3-pointer with 8.5 seconds left to give the Raiders a 45-44 lead.
But with time still on the clock, senior Kabe Goss of Roman Catholic took the inbound and dribbled up the floor. He pulled up just inside the 3-point line and let the jumper fly. The clock expired as the ball sailed through the air and into the net to give the Cahillites the victory.
Roman Catholic were in hysteria as Goss was mobbed by teammates on the floor of one of the most historic venues in sports. See the finish here:
“The passion, the intensity and the massive student sections trading jabs throughout the game make it an unforgettable experience,” National Basketball Editor Jordan Divens said. “The Philadelphia Catholic League semifinals and title game at the Palestra are the best atmosphere in all of high school basketball.”
The Palestra opened on New Year’s Day in 1927 and has hosted more college basketball games than any arena in the nation. The PCL first held its playoff games at the venue in 1942 and legends including Wilt Chamberlain have battled for the crown inside the 8,725-seat arena.
This is the second straight year that Roman Catholic has won the PCL in overtime after the Cahillites took down Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia) 57-52 in 2023.
Both teams will move on to the state tournament. Roman Catholic is the favorite to capture the Class 6A crown after falling in the state title game last season in overtime. Archbishop Ryan is one of the top contenders for the Class 5A state title and reached the semifinals last season.
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