When Roland Park went scoreless for a three-minute stretch of the third quarter Thursday, Archbishop Spalding had a chance to take over the game.
The No. 8 Cavaliers didn't, and the No. 1 Reds made them pay.
Roland Park used a 12-0 run early in the fourth quarter to beat Archbishop Spalding, 63-51, and remain unbeaten in the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference.
Roland Park (13-2, 6-0) held a 35-29 lead with five minutes to go in the third, but was held scoreless until the two-minute mark. The Cavaliers did score five points to cut the lead the one, but were unable to take advantage of several additional opportunities.
"We were right there, but we just couldn't get a big run," Archbishop Spalding coach Bookie Rosemond said. "It just seemed like the ball wouldn't drop, and at crunch time, we have to be able to make that run."
Roland Park's Lindsey Edwards, who scored her 1,000th career point Wednesday against Seton Keough, converted a three-point play late in the third to end the Reds' scoreless drought and push the lead back to four. Spalding's Kaila Clark drove and scored 20 seconds into the fourth to cut the lead to two, but Roland Park responded with the 12-0 run to take its biggest lead of the game, 52-38. The Cavaliers didn't get close than six points in the game's final five minutes.
"We picked up a little more defensive intensity, and for us it's all about the defense," said Roland Park coach Scott Buckley, who recorded his 300th career victory Wednesday. "If we don't defend, we really can't get the transition points we really like to get."
Jaia Alexander led all scorers with 23 points and added seven rebounds. She scored eight points in the fourth, including seven during the Reds' decisive run.
"Their chances came from us not crashing the boards the way we usually do," said Alexander, who hit three 3-pointers and had 11 points in the first quarter. "We got it together and started working better together."
Victoria Reynolds and Clark combined for 40 points for Spalding, but the Cavaliers got just three field goals and 11 points from their other four scorers. Reynolds had 12 of her points in the first quarter and ended the first half with 15, but scored just six points in the second half and finished with a team-high 21.
"We just lost it," said Reynolds, who added six rebounds. "We were there, but it just slipped away."
Clark followed with 19 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three blocks for Spalding, which led by as many as five points in the first quarter.
The lead changed hands seven times in the first half, but Roland Park took the lead for good two minutes into the second quarter and led by as many as eight in the half.
Michala Clay recorded her third straight double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, Edwards added seven rebounds and four assists and Ryan Holder added seven points and six assists for Roland Park. The Reds won their sixth straight and already have victories over McDonogh and Spalding.
Spalding, which lost to No. 2 McDonogh at home this season, still has road games left during the regular season at Roland Park and McDonogh, the teams who met in last year's IAAM A Conference final.
"There's still a lot of season left to be played, and the goal is still a championship," Rosemond said.