Junior guard Nick Groce's layup with 0.2 of a second left gave defending champion and host St. Mary's a 41-39 Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association B Conference semifinal victory over Archbishop Curley last night.

Groce (eight points, four assists) had tied the score at 39 on a free throw with 46 seconds left. Curley (19-8) worked for the last shot but turned the ball over with 14 seconds left.

"I knew I was just in a zone and they were counting on me to put up the bucket," said Groce, who also was fouled on the play but missed the free throw. "I felt like I was going a little too slow, but then I just burst off on my man and made the bucket."

Trey Quinn and Ron Hoffman led the Saints with nine points each. Brandon Carroll led the Friars with 11 points.

The Saints (18-9) will defend their crown at 3:15 p.m. Sunday against No. 5 Mount Carmel (24-3) at Towson University. Mount Carmel, the B Conference champion in 2006, defeated St. Vincent Pallotti, 93-71, in last night's other semifinal.