After two quarters of its game against Loyola yesterday, Mount St. Joseph looked like the No. 1 team that has bullied nearly every opponent it has faced this season. The Gaels went into halftime with a 14-point cushion.
After the third quarter, they looked like a team that could be upset, with their 14-point lead shrinking to one.
But not every game can be pretty, and Mount St. Joseph was happy to escape with a 62-54 victory at Blakefield.
"We played very well in the first half, and to [the Dons'] credit, I know they're not going to lay down. They're a good team," Gaels coach Pat Clatchey said. "That third quarter, that was about the worst quarter of basketball we played all year."
After scoring seemingly at will from the paint and beyond the three-point line in the first half, Mount St. Joseph's offense was bogged down by No. 10 Loyola's 2-3 zone defense that collapsed on 6-foot-11 center Henry Sims in the post and flew out to guards Justin McCoy and Eric Atkins on the perimeter.
The Gaels (22-2, 12-1 Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference) were clinging to a 40-39 lead going into the fourth before they got back on track with a 7-0 run to start the quarter. With 4:41 left, Mount St. Joseph ran 1:41 off the clock, forcing Loyola to switch from the zone to a man-to-man defense. Atkins was fouled and made the free throws to give the Gaels a 49-41 lead.
Mount St. Joseph sank four straight free throws late to seal the win.
"My hair is being lost at a rapid pace. Our guys, to their credit, find a way to win rather than find a way to lose," Clatchey said.
Mount St. Joseph, in first place in the Baltimore Catholic League, improved to 10-1 in league games. Loyola fell to 4-7.
Atkins scored 20 points, and Sims had 16 points and nine rebounds. Matt Rum scored 19 points for Loyola (13-6, 7-7).
stefen.lovelace@baltsun.com
No. 5 St. Frances 81, Archbishop Spalding 69 -- Sean Mosley had a game-high 27 points and Donald Washington added 18, helping the host Panthers (21-8) beat the Cavaliers.
No. 6 Towson Catholic 63, St. Maria Goretti 50 -- Brandon Greene and Vincent Breckenridge combined for 31 points to power the host Owls (15-9) past the Gaels.
Calvert Hall 72, Saint John's Catholic Prep 55 -- John Graham scored 18 points to lead the host Cardinals (13-12) over the Vikings. Saint John's Troy King had 25 points.
John Carroll 43, McDonogh 32 -- Isaiah Philmore scored 17 points to lead the Patriots (16-8). Gerrard Sheppard had a game-high 21 points for the host Eagles (8-15).
Sun reporters contributed to this article.