Woodlawn's dominance appears to be fading.
Last week, it suffered its second loss of the season to a Baltimore County opponent.
Last night, its two-year reign as champion of the Wes Unseld Tournament ended in an 86-68 loss to No. 17 Loyola in a Green Bracket first-round game.
The Dons (6-2), who won the tournament in 1991, will play No. 11 Broadneck for the Green Bracket title tonight at 8.
Broadneck beat Edmondson, 66-44, in the other Green Bracket first-round game yesterday. Edmondson and Woodlawn will meet in the consolation game at 4:45 p.m.
In other games yesterday, Old Mill upset No. 8 Randallstown, 63-47, and Catonsville beat Hammond, 60-49, in the Red Bracket first-round games. Old Mill and Catonsville meet in the Red Bracket championship today at 6:15 p.m., and Randallstown and Hammond meet in the consolation game at 3.
This year's tournament has two four-team brackets. In the previous eight years, eight teams played over a three-day period.
Tournament director Brian Farrell explained that the MPSSAA had allowed the Baltimore County teams involved to use the tournament as a home game, but with the addition of Baltimore City schools to the association that exemption was lifted, making it a "standard Christmas tournament format," which has to be played in two days.
Farrell said he hopes the newly voted MPSSAA open playoff system means the tournament can return to its previous format next season.
Senior forward Mike O'Neill led five double-digit scorers for Loyola with 18 points. Matt Newmeyer added 17 and Ryan Burch contributed 14. Mark Bragg led Woodlawn (3-3) with 19 points and Keion Carpenter scored 17.
The Dons led 48-25 at halftime, but Woodlawn closed to within 67-59 with 4:56 remaining in the third quarter. Loyola responded by scoring the next nine, extending the margin to 17 with 3:13 to play.
"We got off to a very good start and got ahead early," said Loyola coach Jerry Savage, whose team lost to Woodlawn, 85-63, in last season's semifinals. "We were able to beat their press a little, get some easy shots at the end of it, and we built up a big enough lead that we were able to withstand their run later."
Junior guard Joe Barnes scored 19 points and Jeff LeFevre contributed 11, leading Old Mill to its surprising win over previously unbeaten Randallstown (6-1).
After leading 15-12 after the opening period, the Patriots outscored the Rams, 17-8, to open a 32-20 halftime margin, and Randallstown never recovered.
"We just came out flat and didn't play our game," said Randallstown first-year coach Kim Rivers, whose team was victimized by eight three-pointers by Old Mill. "It was an uphill battle. We kept getting close, but we couldn't get over the hump."
Lance Anderson led all scorers with 20 points for Randallstown. The Rams' loss was only their second in their past 20 games, dating to last season.
For the second straight year, Catonsville defeated Hammond in the tourney. Last season, Catonsville defeated the Bears, 53-45, in the second round.
Senior guard Matt O'Connell scored a game-high 17 points to lead the Comets (3-2). Tremayne Littlejohn scored 14 and Dave Bortz 10.
Trailing 35-34 late in the third quarter, Catonsville scored the final six points to take a 40-35 lead, and the Comets never relinquished it.
"They [Hammond] were running into a lot of picks in the first half," said O'Connell. "We usually start out in a man-to-man, so we switched up to a zone and that really helped us a lot."
Broadneck found itself again in a familiar position, playing in the finals at the Wes Unseld Holiday Tournament. But it was an unfamiliar source who helped put it there.
Junior forward Jamaine Young came off the bench to score 27 points, leading the No. 11 Bruins (5-1) past Edmondson (5-3).
"Defense really turned it around for us," said Young, 6-foot-1. "We kept switching into different formations to keep them off balance."
Jason Smith scored 19 points for Broadneck, which won its 16th game at the Unseld tourney. Terrell Smith scored 22 to lead Edmondson.