His face simply grew a bit red. But for a player who guards his emotions like a poker play that said a lot. A young, but experienced athlete Rogers lets his play do the talking and after St. John Neumann cut an 11-point deficit to two in the fourth quarter, Rogers spoke loudly.

And showed nothing but aces.

Rogers scored six consecutive points in a 27-second span, cooling Neumann’s comeback push and helping Muncy win a hard-fought 55-49 District 4 Class AA semifinals thriller. Rogers scored 10 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter, adding nine rebounds and four assists as the two-time defending champions earned a spot in Saturday’s semifinals against either Northeast Bradford or Montgomery at a time and place to be determined.

“Nate’s even-keel which I appreciate. You saw him pumped up. That’s him pumped up. That was it,” Gresh said. “He’s not yelling and screaming and telling you about it. He just does it.”

Stiles Eyer of Muncy puts up a shot against St. John Neumann at Muncy High School. Muncy won 55-49. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

He did it quite well Tuesday as Muncy (19-5) won a third consecutive close playoff game against Neumann. Kohen Meyer continued his late-season surge, scoring 15 points, Kyran Lisembee totaled 10 and four assists and Stiles Eyer made a run at a double-double. Dom Guardini added five steals and Muncy needed that well-rounded effort to fend off the Knights who did all they could to exact revenge following last year’s heart-breaking one-point district championship loss.

The game was tied 27-27 at halftime before Muncy started the second half strong, quickly going up 10. Led by Daiton Thompson’s 28-point performance, though, the Knights never went away, and a Lajon Dizard drive capped a quick burst which pulled them within 45-43 less than four minutes into the final quarter.

Neumann was hot, but Rogers immediately heated up like a microwave, attacking the lane and converting a 3-point play just seven seconds later. Rogers grabbed the rebound on Neumann’s ensuing possession, went coast to coast and converted another and-one. Just like that, Muncy was up 51-43 and again assumed strategic control.

“They were giving me the lane all night, I just couldn’t finish and then I started to heat up there and could actually make my layups,” Rogers said. “Then, the and-ones just came, the foul shots just came. I think that got us going a little bit and brought us up.”

Rogers started as a year ago and was part of a team which encountered a near identical situation to the one it did against Neumann. Muncy faced a seven-win league rival when it hosted South Williamsport in last year’s district quarterfinals. South led that game into the fourth quarter before Muncy rallied and started its run to another district championship.

Nathan Rogers of Muncy puts up a shot against St. John Neumann at Muncy High School. Muncy won 55-49. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Nothing caught Rogers off guard this time and when his team needed him most, he delivered. That included finishing again after Lisembee found him cutting toward the basket and putting Muncy up, 55-49. Rogers capped his strong finish by grabbing an offensive board off a missed free throw with 17 seconds remaining as Muncy dribbled away the remaining time.

“Last year’s first round game against South it was another close game like this one. It’s good to have that experience under my belt,” Rogers said. “I could use that experience from that game to not get overwhelmed.”

“He has it in him, there’s no doubt about it. He has to be one of the people we’re willing to go to,” Gresh said. “He has the ability to do it and tonight he did it and that’s what we’ve been waiting for.”

Meyer had to wait at times this season following an injury, but he is playing his best basketball at the perfect time. He scored at least 14 points for a third straight game, while grabbing five rebounds, blocking a shot and altering others.

The senior center combines with Ken Hampe to give Muncy two reliable post threats, but with Hampe coming back from injury, Meyer has stepped up in a big way.

Kohen Meyer (33) of Muncy and Andrew Walter (2) of St. John Neumann at Muncy High School. Muncy won 55-49. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

That continued against Neumann as Meyer scored nine second quarter points to keep Neumann from taking a lead into halftime. Meyer scored four quick points during a 13-3 run early in the third.

“I think it’s just focusing and relaxing on the court instead of worrying about getting in. It’s just playing the best I can,” Meyer said. “Kenny being down obviously is a huge loss to the team, and as coach Gresh has said many times, we’re together as a team, so having him gone I felt like I had to come in and carry it a little bit but now that he’s back, hopefully we can get our groove going.”

Muncy displayed a lot of rhythm when it started the third quarter so strong. Before Neumann could seemingly catch its breath, the Indians had rattled off 13 points in less than three minutes, while going ahead, 40-30.

Muncy made six of its seven shots during that time, and all five starters scored in the third quarter. Neumann kept coming back but Muncy getting that quick double-digit lead out of the gates loomed large over the final 13 minutes.

“At the half we really identified some key players in the game, and we just really had to find where our weaknesses and strengths were and adapt to focus on them more and get back in it,” Meyer said. “Even when we were winning at the beginning (of the game) it didn’t feel good; it didn’t feel like we were winning. When we got that momentum, it definitely boosted our morale a little bit and got us back into the game.”

Kyran Lisembee (5) of Muncy drives past Jager Woodring (4) of St. John Neumann at Muncy High School. Muncy won 55-49. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

“The whole team got hyped. It definitely helped us play more enthusiastic as a team,” Rogers said. “When something like that happens, we play better.”

Thompson did everything he could to help Neumann win the game, making 11 of his 16 shots en route to his career-high 28 points. Thompson also grabbed seven rebounds and made three steals. Jager Woodring scored eight of his nine points in the second quarter when Neumann turned a six-point deficit into a tie and Dizard scored all nine of his points in the second half with Gino Birch and Legend Dillard each pulling down seven rebounds.

Thompson scored six quick fourth quarter points, but Carter Feigles came up huge off the bench and helped slow down the junior point guard while multiple starters were in foul trouble before Eyer (9 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists) helped Muncy hold Neumann to six points over the final 4 ½ minutes.

“Daiton played fantastic. He was making everything. I was like, ‘Holy Cow!'” Gresh said. “It was a hard game but at the end of the day, the name of the game in playoffs is win and move on and that’s what we did.”

“Every time you play Neumann, even in the regular season, they give us their best game,” Meyer said. “I think everybody gives Muncy their best game because we have a target on our backs. It’s always good competition to play against them.”

Nathan Rogers (2) of Muncy drives to the basket as Gino Birch (22) of St. John Neumann tries to steal the ball at Muncy High School. Muncy won 55-49. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

NEUMANN (49)

Daiton Thompson 11 4-6 28, Andrew Walter 1 1-2 3, Jager Woodring 3 1-2 9, Lajon Dizard 4 0-0 9, Gino Birch 0 0-0 0, Legend Dillard 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 6-10 49.

MUNCY (55)

Stiles Eyer 4 0-2 9, Dominic Guardini 2 0-0 6, Nate Rogers 6 3-4 15, Kyran Lisembee 5 0-0 10, Kohen Meyer 7 1-2 15, Ken Hampe 0 0-0 0, Jaxton Frantz 0 0-2 0, Carter Feigles 0 0-0 0, Gavin Barrows 0 0-0 0. Totals 24 4-1055.

Neumann 12 15 10 12–49

Muncy 16 11 16 12–55

3-pointers: Neumann 5 (Thompson 2, Woodring 2, Dizard); Muncy 3 (Guardini 2, Eyer).

Records: Muncy 19-5. Neumann 7-16.

Nathan Rogers of Muncy has the ball knocked away by Gino Birch of St. John Neumann at Muncy High School. Muncy won 55-49. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Daiton Thompson of St. John Neumann puts up a shot against Muncy at Muncy High School. Muncy won 55-49. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Kyran Lisembee (5) of Muncy tries to steal the ball from Daiton Thompson (1) of St. John Neumann at Muncy High School. Muncy won 55-49. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Stiles Eyer (10) of Muncy and Lajon Dizzard of St. John Neumann dive for a loose ball at Muncy High School. Muncy won 55-49. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Kohen Meyer (33) of Muncy tries to steal the ball as Jager Woodring (4) of St. John Neumann at Muncy High School. Muncy won 55-49. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette