The Mount Saint Joseph basketball team cut Calvert Hall's lead to one point in the last minute of the third quarter Sunday and the young Gaels seemed to be finding their groove.
Instead, experience kicked in for the No. 5 Cardinals.
Leaning on shooting guard Drew Edwards, forward Evan Phoenix and poised play from point guard Reggie Rouse — all seniors who have played plenty of important varsity minutes — visiting Calvert Hall went on a 15-0 run and never looked back in a convincing 65-42 win over No. 2 Mount Saint Joseph.
Edwards led four players in double figures for the Cardinals, finishing with 19 points. Phoenix scored 15 points, junior Justin Gorham had 11 and senior Kenji Bahar added 10. Rouse took care of the ball and got it in the right hands.
Calvert Hall, which played without injured forward Nico Clareth, improved to 14-2 overall, 6-1 in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference and 4-1 in the Baltimore Catholic League. Mount Saint Joseph (12-4) lost its second straight game and fell to 5-1 in the MIAA A Conference and 3-2 in the BCL.
"In the fourth quarter, we had the mindset that we were going to get stops, and we did. And we also made plays offensively," Edwards said. "Defensive intensity — we just made them take tough shots then we took our time offensively and were efficient."
After Mount Saint Joseph used an 11-3 run to cut Calvert Hall's lead to 38-37, the Cardinals had their first big stop with the Gaels trying to go ahead in the closing minute of the third quarter. Gorham finished off a fast break with a dunk to give the Cardinals a 40-37 lead going into the fourth quarter.
It was the start of the 15 straight points for the Cardinals that put the game away. Edwards had a dazzling three-point play in the paint to give Calvert Hall its first double-digit lead at 47-37, and Phoenix ended the run with a follow basket for a 53-37 lead with 3:53 to play.
The Gaels, who don't have any seniors, didn't get their first point of the quarter until Darryl Morsell hit a free throw with 3:41 to play. Their only field goal of the quarter came on junior guard Randy Miller's jumper with 2:02 left.
"We were fortunate to run some sets down the stretch to get some good looks, and we have the senior guards that make a big difference," Calvert Hall coach John Bauersfeld said. "They've been there before, executed what they needed to, and we got the stops against a very good Mount Saint Joseph team.
"In the fourth quarter, we forced them into some difficult shots and were able to convert some things at the other end, and Drew and Reggie did a great job of controlling the game."
Miller and sophomore guard Justice Kendall led Mount Saint Joseph with nine points each. The Gaels will host No. 3 John Carroll on Monday.
The Cardinals, who visit John Carroll on Wednesday, hit 20 of 26 free-throw attempts — including 6 of 8 in the early fourth quarter stretch.
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