Prep Charter topples Neumann-Goretti, 56-53

Tyree Harris has attempted this shot more than a thousand times.

The Prep Charter forward loves to plant his feet in a certain place beyond the three-point line and release.

It's a shot that Harris routinely makes inside the Huskies' gym and at playgrounds near his North Philadelphia home.

Last night, the 6-foot-7 junior used that shot to bring everyone in the standing-room-only crowd at Ben Franklin to its feet.

Harris' wide-open three-pointer with 1.5 seconds left gave Prep Charter a 56-53 Sneaker Villa Christmas Classic victory over Neumann-Goretti.

"I just got it, squared up, shot it and looked," Harris said of his first game-winning basket. "It was just like practice. And I've been practicing on it all year long."

That shot did much more than enable the Huskies (4-3), ranked ninth in Southeastern Pennsylvania by The Inquirer, to upset the fourth-ranked Saints (5-5).

It gave Prep Charter neighborhood bragging rights in South Philly.

Two-time Class AA defending state champion Prep Charter is in its 10th year of existence. The Huskies became a Public League member in 2001.

Neumann-Goretti is a tradition Catholic League powerhouse.

"This is what we were waiting for," Harris said of the teams' first regular-season meeting. "We've been begging . . . for this game."

Harris made a game-high two three-pointers en route to finishing with 11 points and seven rebounds.

While Harris clinched the victory, Ferguson Myrick was named Prep Charter's MVP of the game. The 6-6 junior forward finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

The Saints were paced by talented guards Tony Chennault (15 points, 10 rebounds and two assists) and Jamal Wilson (13 points and nine rebounds) and forward Scooter Gillette (four points, six rebounds and five blocks).

Neumann-Goretti's Tyrell Taylor knotted the score at 53-53 on a a free throw with 33.1 seconds left.

Unfortunately for the Saints, their comeback was short-lived.

Harris took a pass from Will Nicholson and scored his trademark basket.

Neumann-Goretti 13 13 14 13 - 53

Prep Charter 15 12 12 17 - 56

NG: Tony Chennault 15, Tyreek Duren 6, Scooter Gillette 4, Shane Irwin 4, Daniel Stewart 5, Tyrell Taylor 6, Jamal Wilson 13.

PC: Willis Nicholson 7, Parrish Grant 6, Ferguson Myrick 16, Zaahid Hollowman 1, Jesse Morgan 8, Tyree Harris 11, Shaquille Duncan 7.