Late-Game Magic Runs Out on RBC in South Jersey Non-Public A Final Loss

MEDFORD — It was starting to look like a replay of their NJSIAA South Jersey Non-Public A semifinal game against St. Rose. Red Bank Catholic, trailing 47-46 with 14 seconds left, got the ball to their hero from Thursday night, Addy Nyemchek, but could not get the same result.

The Caseys fought to get the rebound after the first miss and second miss, but could not get the winning basket on any of its three chances in the final seconds. Paul VI pulled down the game-ending rebound to become the South Jersey Non-Public A sectional champions for the first time in 36 years, 47-46. 

Red Bank Catholic’s hopes and dreams of repeating as Non-Public A champions and ending the season as division champs, Shore Conference champs and state champs ended. In the final 90 seconds, there were five lead changes, with both teams refusing to concede. The biggest lead of the game was five points, which the Caseys had late in the third quarter, 31-26. 

“I told them I could not be more proud of them,” Red Bank Catholic head coach Joe Montano said. “If you do not want to be part of this team. If you are not proud of your effort all season long, you shouldn’t be playing sports. This is what it is all about, right. These girls all put the team first. They cared about each other, they competed for each other.”

After Nyemchek put RBC up 46-45 by going 2-for-2 from the free-throw line with 31 seconds to go, Paul VI’s Anya George was able to draw the foul with 14 seconds to go and drain both free throws to give her team the lead.

“This is my fourth time here in a row and it could not be more exciting than a one-point game win,” Paul VI head coach Orlando Hidalgo said. “We have been to a couple overtimes already and when it comes down to crunch time they find out a way to win. I was saying please make these free throws. We work so hard on them. We made the ones that counted and that was really clutch by her (George).” 

The Caseys started the game off slow on the offensive side of the floor, missing several 3-pointers in the first quarter. A timeout with Paul VI up 13-10 with 5:54 left in the first half seemed to wake RBC up. They went on a 6-0 run and it ended up being a 9-2 run — the biggest of the game — and helped RBC take a 22-19 lead in the half. 

In typical RBC fashion, a different player stepped up at different times of the game to help. Junior Daniella Maletsky scored four points off the bench in the first quarter to get RBC to within one point. Senior Tessa Carman finished with nine points and nine rebounds while also causing problems on the defensive end with two blocks and a steal. Four different players knocked down a 3-pointer in the second and third quarters until Nyemchek, who scored nine out of her 13 points in the fourth quarter, got going. Senior Christina Liggio was a perfect 4-for-4 down the stretch from the foul line to keep the Caseys in it.

“They (Paul VI) made the free throws when they had to, we made our free throws,” Montano said. “They made a couple shots in the lane, we made a couple shots in the lane. They just made one more than we did. I will not trade being in that locker room with those kids for any win and I am the most competitive guy you ever met. I love those kids and they did a great job.”

Even though the season ended a game too soon, Red Bank Catholic had a season to remember. They won the school’s first Shore Conference Tournament title since 2013, a Class A Coastal division title, and had three players reach 1,000-point milestones. Carman, who is committed to Monmouth University next season, finished with 1,023 points. Liggio, who will be entering the Naval Academy next season, finished with 1,045 points and Nyemchek sits at 1,146 points with one season left. 

“We played one of the toughest seasons in RBC history,” Carman said. “We won 21 straight games and I will say my senior season was one of my best seasons I have ever played, ever watched. These girls got it next year and I will be watching. It was a great run and spending it with these girls was memorable and I will never forget it.”

Paul VI will now play Morris Catholic for the Non-Public A title in a battle of undefeated teams at Rutgers University on Friday. Both teams improved to 27-0 tonight with their sectional title wins. 

“We believe in playing the toughest schedule because that will prepare them for the next level,” Hidalgo said. “They are battle-tested and I am just amazed and surprised that we were able to go undefeated with the schedule we had. We know in order to win this whole thing at this point we have to stay undefeated.”