Spalding eases past Digital Harbor

With his team off the court for the most of the last week because of exams, Archbishop Spalding High girls’ basketball coach Bookie Rosemond figured his squad would be lagging. It didn’t help that the No. 1 Cavaliers’ first game back Thursday was against Digital Harbor.

Spalding did struggled early against the Baltimore City power, but found its stride and coasted to a 60-42 non-league decision over the 10th ranked Rams.

Sophomore forward/center Camille Calhoun and Binghamton University-bound Sherae Swinson each scored 15 points for Spalding (14-2 overall). Sophomore forward A’Lexus Harrison tied Calhoun and Swinson for game-high honors with 15 for Digital Harbor (6-6), and Markita Beckwith added 11.

The Severn school led by as many as 22 points in the second half to post its seventh consecutive victory. It wasn’t much on style points, but the Cavaliers did just enough.

“We came in flat, they didn’t have school today and it looked like half got out of bed at noon,” said Rosemond, whose team’s first post-exam practice was Wednesday. “We paid the price early on. We kind of settled in, started moving the ball and hitting some shots. Once we hit shots, it opened up the middle.”

“It wasn’t one of our best games,” said Calhoun, who pulled down a team-leading eight rebounds.

The Cavaliers led 14-10 after opening quarter before outscoring the Rams, 17-7, to open up a 14-point halftime lead. Senior guard Maggie Morrison dropped a pair of three-pointers to start the second half, extending Spalding’s lead to 37-17.

Calhoun’s jumper off the glass made it 40-19 midway in the third as the Cavaliers took over with their ball movement in half court and transition. Four players finished in double figures with Morrison (six assists), who’s headed to Vanderbilt and American University recruit Shaquila Curtis (six rebounds and three steals) each finished with 13 points.

“I think everybody individually got themselves going,” said Calhoun. “One person picked up the pace and everybody followed. We were tied with them for a while and they had only six or seven players. We knew we were better than this team.”

Digital Harbor played with only six players as coach Patrick McDonald suspended two players for disciplinary reasons and another was out due to injury. Even at full strength, McDonald admitted it would’ve been a tough task against the experienced Cavaliers.

“When you have a group of players who’ve been played as long as they have, things are second nature,” said McDonald, whose team return to the court Friday afternoon at Patterson. “It’s no for excuse for us. We’re relatively young and have to go through growing pains.”

Rosemond thought Calhoun and Swinson did a good job defensively on Harrison, who’s verbally committed to Maryland. The Cavaliers don’t return to action until Jan. 21 at home against St. Frances Academy in a rematch of last year’s IAAM A Conference championship game.

“We know zones, we know man-to-man, we know our offense, but it takes a while to get back into go mode and someone with their hand in your face,” said Rosemond. “They want to beat you so we can’t have lapses.”

CLICK RELATED VIDEOS TAB FOR HIGHLIGHTS