Third-ranked St. Frances scored 17 of the game's 19 points in an offensive burst that turned back No. 19 Edgewood, 59-36, last night in the Fuel Fund Classic at the UMBC Fieldhouse.
"We went to sleep for awhile," said St. Frances coach William Wells, whose team's lead was cut to three midway through the second quarter.
The Panthers (6-1) used strong inside games from Mark Karcher, Charles Beaufort and Corey Bradford to take control. St. Frances took a 15-6 lead after Karcher (17 points, eight rebounds, five steals) scored eight straight to spark a 12-0 first-quarter run.
But Edgewood (1-2) rallied. Thedrick Tapp made a jumper, and Chris Finlay and Mike Baldwin sank back-to-back three-pointers
to cut the lead to 23-20 with 3:25 left in the half.
St. Frances then went on a roll. Bradford made a follow-up with 2:59 left in the half. Karcher followed with a layup, and Bradford scored on another put-back. His free throw completed the three-point play and the seven-point, 42-second run for a 30-20 lead with 2:17 left.
St. Frances stretched the lead to 40-22 early in the second half, and the Panthers were never threatened again. Both teams agreed the turning point came when Edgewood cut the lead to three.
"We just had to push it up another notch," said Karcher.
And St. Frances did that by getting the ball inside. Keon Chavez ran the offense effectively and worked hard at finding Karcher, Beaufort and Bradford down low.
Edgewood lacked the height needed to neutralize the Panthers' front line -- especially Karcher (6-foot-4). The sophomore forward repeatedly got open in the paint, as did the 6-4 Beaufort (10 points, nine rebounds, four steals) and the 6-5 Bradford (eight points, five rebounds).
Edgewood tried not to let St. Frances control things and turn the game into a track meet. The Rams, who made the state semifinals three of the last four seasons, tried to be patient on offense.
The Rams often spread the floor and tried to wait for the good shot. But St. Frances repeatedly stole the ball or disrupted the Edgewood attack with its quickness.
The Edgewood offense never seemed to click, as none of the Rams scored in double figures. Finlay led the way with seven points, while Baldwin and Tapp added six apiece.
The Rams went through several long stretches where they did not make a basket. For example, they had dry spells of 5:40 and 3:25 in the first half as well as 6:46 in the second half.
And that made St. Frances' 17-2 run all the more important.