Category: Mount St. Joseph

Baltimore swept by WCAC in boys' basketball mixer; Mount St. Joseph routed (VIDEO HERE!)

St. Frances' Jamal West tries to put a shot against Paul VI's Joshua Oduro during the second half of Saturday's boys basketball contest at the Charm City Challenge. The defending Baltimore Catholic League champ Panthers dropped a 67-58 decision to the nationally-ranked Panthers from northern Virginia at DeMatha Catholic in Hyattsville.

by Derek Toney

After each match in Saturday’s Charm City Challenge, the teams were treated to pizza in their respective locker room.

Unfortunately for Baltimore, it was the biggest highlight. The locals were shutout at DeMatha Catholic’s Brendan Looney Convocation Center in Hyattsville.

In the finale, host and reigning Washington Catholic Athletic Conference champ DeMatha handled St. Maria Goretti, 73-56. Hunter Dickerson scored 21 points for the Stags, and Villanova University commit Justin Moore added 19.

The Stags (2-0 overall), ranked No. 5 in USA Today’s preseason Super 25, went on a 25-8 second quarter run to take a 41-23 halftime advantage. RJ Blakney finished with 12 points for Goretti (5-1), which is expected to complete for the Baltimore Catholic League crown this season.

Defending BCL champ St. Frances Academy and 2017 champ Mount St. Joseph each absorbed tough defeats. The Panthers dropped a 67-58 decision to nationally-ranked Paul VI (VA) while St. Joe was demolished by Gonzaga College (DC), 76-36.

The Eagles scored the game’s first 15 points as junior forward Terrance Williams scored 11 of his game-high 16 in the opening quarter. Gonzaga (1-1) led 25-8 after one and 40-18 at halftime.

It got worse for Mount St. Joseph (3-1) as the deficit grew to 65-30 after three periods. Myles Stute finished with 10 points for Gonzaga, which was runner-up to DeMatha in the WCAC last winter.

Jason Edokpayi had nine points for the Gaels. The junior was the lone bright spot Saturday for Mount St. Joseph coach Pat Clatchey, who suffered one of his worst losses in recent memory.

“We got out-played every phase of the game,” said Clatchey, who has one starter from last year’s BCL Tournament runner-up squad. “Today was an eye-opening experience. We all have to take a look in the mirror.”

“There’s no excuse for that performance,” said Gaels senior guard James Bishop, a LSU commit who had seven points Saturday. “We have to continue getting better and coming together as a team. No matter how young we are, we can’t have performances like that.”

St. Frances was tracking early for a decisive loss, but the Panthers showed some tenacity before eventually falling to Paul VI. Xavier Joyner finished with 15 points, and sophomore Trevor Keels added 13 for Paul VI (2-0), ranked No. 15 in USA Today’s Super 25 preseason poll.

Down 14 points late in the third, St. Frances (3-1) shaved the deficit to seven early in the fourth quarter. But the east Baltimore school wasn’t able to consistently defend Paul VI in the paint and on the perimeter (12 3-pointers).

“They executed. They’re well-coached, talented…they’re No. 11 in the country for a reason,” said St. Frances coach Nick Myles, whose team trailed 15-4 in the first quarter. “We struggled making shots, but we fought to the end.”

Freshman reserve guard Carlos Alexander and senior forward Jamal West each finished with 17 points for St. Frances. Jordan Toles added 14.

It was a somewhat promising start for Baltimore as Loyola Blakefield and Bishop Ireton (VA) played the best match of the second installment of the boys’ basketball mixer, pitting the BCL vs. the WCAC. Ethan Lynch converted a baseline drive with three seconds left in regulation, giving Ireton a 61-59 victory.

Lynch finished with 18 points for Ireton (1-0), which overcame a 51-46 deficit enter the final frame. Junior Mitch Fischer had a game-high 22 points for Loyola (4-3), and Brendan Fox added 13.

Gonzaga's Josiah Hardy (left) and Mount St. Joseph's Will Sykes battle for a rebound. The Eagles opened with 15 straight points en route to a 40-point victory over the Gaels as the WCAC won all five matches Saturday against BCL/MIAA A squads.

Though not a BCL member, St. Vincent Pallotti gained an invite to the Charm City Challenge. The Panthers dropped a 52-35 decision to St. John’s College (DC).

Darius Maddox and Ishmael Leggett each posted 11 points for the Cadets (1-0), and Virginia commit Casey Morsell finished with nine. Senior guard Anthony Blunt had a game-high 12 points for Pallotti (1-1).

The Panthers trailed 33-18 at halftime, but managed to trim the deficit to nine, 35-26, in the third. St. John’s answered with a 9-0 run to double its lead to 18.

Charm City Challenge

at DeMatha Catholic

Bishop Ireton (VA) 61, Loyola Blakefield 59

Loyola - Fox 13, Hepting 3, Young 10, Fischer 22, Gardner 4, Nnake 7. Totals 20 12-15 59.

Ireton - Lynch 18, Mobutu 11, Berry 12, Kouba 2, Uwemedimo 6, Limacaoco 3, Goddot 9. Totals 25 7-9 61.

Loyola 14 13 19 13 - 59

Ireton 15 12 14 20 - 61

St. John’s College (D.C.) 52, St. Vincent Pallotti 35

Pallotti - Oaks 6, Blunt 12, McNair 2, Mallory 3, Smith 3, Oshinnaiye 9. Totals 12 9-11 35.

St. John’s - Abbott 3, Dunn 3, Wilson 5, Maddox 11, Leggett 11, Morsell 9, Nagoya 4, Square 4. 16 11-14 52.

Pallotti 8 10 8 9 - 35

St. John’s 16 17 6 13 - 52

Paul VI (VA) 67, St. Frances Academy 58

St. Frances - Jones 2, Toles 14, Alexander 17, Baldwin 4, Murphy 4, West 17. Totals 19 19-29 58.

Paul VI - Keels 13, Joyner 15, Harris 4, Paige 3, McDaniel 12, Oduro 4, Ford 6, Freeman 10. Totals 23 9-17 67.

St. Frances 8 18 14 18 - 58

Paul VI 18 12 18 19 - 67

Gonzaga College (DC) 76, Mount St. Joseph 36

Mount St. Joseph - Crawley 8, Bishop 7, Johnson 2, Sapienza 3, Chairs 2, Edokpayi 9, Sykes 2, Brown 2, Carr 1. Totals 14 7-12 36.

Gonzaga - Dinkins 3, Gill 9, Harris 3, Jackson 4, Williams 16, Mintz 2, Dread 10, Watts 8, Clark 3, Stute 10, Ficca 4, Hardy 4. Totals 29 14-19 76.

Mount St. Joseph 8 10 12 6 - 36

Gonzaga 25 15 25 11 - 76

DeMatha Catholic 73, St. Maria Goretti 56

Goretti - Payne 3, Somerville 1, Myrie 2, Batchelor 2, McClain 4, Edwards 10, Search 6, Blakney 12, Rogers 8, Tsimbila 6, Golek 6. Totals 19 10-14 56.

DeMatha - Ward 3, Holton 5, Moore 19,  Miller 3, Walker 1, Timberlake 7, Kogelnik 2, Vance 2, Young 5, Dickerson 21, Wallace 6, Hawkins 3. Totals 31 8-13 77,

Goretti 15 8 17 16 - 56

DeMatha 17 24 18 18 - 77