MIAA’s March to Madness

And down the stretch they come… With less than three weeks until the MIAA A Conference regular season finale, two teams will battle for the top seed in the Red Division, while three others are fighting for the 3 seed and final berth in the division, and another three vie for the top spot in the Black Division.

Each of the two divisions of seven teams place three teams in the post-season tournament, with the top seeds in each division receiving a first round bye in the tournament.

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St Frances and Mt St Joe both control their fate in their division race, though the Panthers hold a one game lead in the loss column in the Red Division. Thanks to a 62-53 victory over the Panthers in their first meeting on January 17th, the Gaels control their destiny, and would take the top spot in the ‘Red’ if they were to win out, which would have to include a second win over the Panthers in the season finale on Valentine’s Day.

St Frances (25-3) is 11-1 in conference play, while the Gaels (19-3) are 12-2, both three-and-a-half games ahead of third place John Carroll, and four games ahead of both Loyola and Spalding.

The Panthers were bounced out of the national top 25 rankings with the loss ten days ago, but found some vindication with Saturday’s 57-53 win over nationally ranked (#19 ESPN, #24 Max Preps) Poly, at Morgan State. Jamal West, a 6’6 South Alabama commit, was a force for the Panthers, scoring 15 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and blocked four shots. Ace Baldwin, the 2018 All-Met and VCU commit, scored 9 of his 13 points in the final frame, including a three-pointer to open the fourth, giving the Panthers a 42-38 lead, a lead they never surrendered.

Four of the Panthers final seven league games are against opponents with losing records – @ McD, v CHC, @Mt Carmel, and v Gerstell. Aside from the finale with the Gaels, the Panthers also go to John Carroll, and host Loyola.

West and Baldwin have been the Panthers leaders, and the defending MIAA and BCL champions will need it, following the departures of a pair of 6’3 seniors, who were SFA’s both their third and fourth leading scorers, as well as their third and fourth leading rebounders. West is averaging 15.6 points and 8 rebounds per game, shooting 59% from the floor. Baldwin averages 10.6 points, 7.1 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.1 steals per game. 6’9 junior Julian Reese is on the back end of a defense that allows just 54.3 points per game, and averages 9.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.3 block shots per game. Khyrie Staten, a 6’1 junior, provides great energy for the Panthers, while Annapolis junior transfer Byron Ireland will be counted for more scoring with Banks and Toles gone, and has averaged 12.3 points per game over the last eight contests, after averaging 5.9 points per game in the first 18 tilts.

The Gaels are on a roll, having won their last eight games, including the victory over the Panthers, the only opponent to come within single-digits of the Irvington squad over the streak. The Gaels won the seven remaining games by an average point differential of +22.3. Jayson Edokpayi led the Gaels in their win over the Panthers, scoring 22 points, while Tyler Brelslford added 19 points. Both made key shots down the stretch, with Edokpayi scoring 15 points after intermission, leading to Gaels Coach Pat Clatchey’s 700th career win. The Gaels started the second half with a 10-0 run, after trailing by four at the break, and scored the last 7 points of the game after the Panthers had cut the lead to two points, 55-53, with less than two minutes to play.

The Gaels get a test Wednesday, as they host Gilman, with the Greyhounds riding a four game win streak, including their 66-64 win over Boys Latin, who sit atop of the Black Division. Friday, the Gaels go to Mt Carmel, in their second of two meetings, following their narrow 61-59 victory over the Cougars in December.

Edokpayi and Brelsford are the Gaels senior leaders and top two scorers, while junior Ausar Crawley runs the point. The 6’6 Edokpayi, a Fairfield commit, leads the Gaels in rebounding, while Breslford, a 6’2 George Washington commit, is the Gaels top shooter. Crawley, who already has offers from Stonybrook and Bryant, still has this final month-plus and summer circuit to garner more offers before his senior season. Senior Cam Sapienza, junior D’Angelo Stines, and sophomore Antonio Hamlin compliment Crawley in the backcourt, and 6’6 junior Sean Carr bolsters Edokpayi in the paint.

John Carroll, Loyola, and Spalding, are all within a game-and-half of each other for the third playoff berth in the Red Division, which holds a 23-12 edge over the Black Division in head-to-head play going into Tuesday’s games. John Carroll (16-7) is 7-4 in league play, with eight conference games remaining, while Loyola (14-8) is 7-5 in the MIAA, with seven to go, and Spalding (12-8) is 8-6, with just five league games left.

John Carroll is young, and maybe a year away, but is contending with just two seniors among its 13 players. Junior guard Jalen Bryant is the Patriots leader, while 6’2 sophomore Tyson Commander is their leading scorer, after averaging 15 points per game as a freshman. Junior Jaden Jakobowski adds offense, and 6’8 sophomore Cesar Tchilombo provides deterrent in the painted area. Freshman Jeannot Besima, like Tchilombo, a Congo native, has already received an offer from Howard University. The Patriots project to split this week’s games with Annapolis Area Christian and St Frances, winning and losing respectively, leaving the following week’s games vital to their post-season push, hosting Pallotti, Boys Latin, and Glenelg Country, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

The Loyola Dons won a huge road game at Boys Latin on Tuesday night, 65-54, out scoring the Lakers 45-29 over the last three quarters. With games versus Mt St Joe and St Frances still remaining, the Dons may very well need to win the other quartet of league games that remain, including when they host Spalding on Friday, Calvert Hall and McDonogh, and most of all, the season finale at John Carroll. Max Fischer, a 6’7 senior, and Jordan Moore, a 6’2 junior, pace the Dons, and scored 23 and 21 points, respectively, in the win over Boys Latin on Tuesday.

Spalding is two games back of John Carroll in the loss column for the third and final playoff berth, but can take command of that berth if the Cavaliers can win their next two games – at Loyola on Friday, and at John Carroll on Monday. A split may not be enough, with both Boys Latin and Mt St Joe still looming on the docket, and losing both would all but eliminate the Cavs from playoff contention. Like John. Carroll are very young, starting four sophomores, featuring 6’5 CJ Scott, who does the dirty work and can guard a number of positions, and scorers Cam Whitmore, Ty Peterson, and Jordan Pennick. After starting 5-5, the Cavaliers have gone 7-3 since, including a loss to Glenelg Country needed buzzer-beaters in both regulation and overtime to put the Cavs away.

11-1 St Frances

12-2 Mt St Joe

7-4 John Carroll

8-5 Loyola

8-6 Spalding

In the Black Division, Gilman, Boys Latin, and Glenelg Country, are all in contention for the division’s top seed, and likely to advance as the division’s three representatives in the league tournament. With Loyola’s 65-54 victory over Boys Latin on Tuesday night, Gilman is in the top spot heading into Wednesday’s games, based on their sweep of the Lakers this season. Both Gilman (11-7) and Boys Latin (11-8) are 8-4 in league play, but the Greyhounds get the nod in a two-way tiebreaker with the Lakers. Meanwhile, Glenelg Country (12-7) is tied in the standings, at 9-5, but a game back in the loss column of both Gilman and Boys Latin. It looks as though all three of the aforementioned teams will win 12 league games, at least 11. Pallotti (11-10) would need to 7-1 to get to 12 league wins, 6-2 to 11. McDonogh (12-13), 6-7 in league play, would need to go 6-0 to get to 12-7, 5-1 to get to 11-8.

Gilman has a favorable schedule, hosting five of their seven league games that remain, including home games with Mt St Joe and Glenelg Country on Wednesday and Friday, respectively. After that, the Greyhounds face just one league opponent with a winning league record (as of 1/28) in their final five league games – John Carroll. The Greyhounds are currently riding a four game win streak going into their showdown with the Gaels on Wednesday, including their 66-64 win over Boys Latin last Friday. Sophomore Christian Winborne and senior Jordan Foster lead the Greyhounds, with the former scoring 15 points in the win over the Lakers. With a season-ending injury to 6’5 junior Malik Missouri, 6’9 senior Roman Hinds has even that more on his hands with the undersized Greyhounds.

Cliff Rees’ Boys Latin Lakers still has a legitimate chance to win the division title, despite their two game skid, with five of their seven league remaining versus teams with losing league records. Seniors Lorenzo Donadio and Kendall walker lead the Lakers, with sophomore Will Spencer contributing greatly. Donadio scored 20 points in the two-point loss to Gilman on Friday, and scored 16 points in the loss to Loyola. The Lakers rank 10th of 14 teams in the MIAA in scoring (56.9), 5th in points allowed (54.4).

Glenelg Country can make deep inroads with a win at Gilman on Friday night, which would give the Dragons a game-and-a-half edge on the Greyhounds should they lose their Wednesday night tilt with Mt St Joe. With a win, it would likely send the Dragons to John Carroll next Friday night with a 12-5 league record, after visiting Gerstell on Monday, and traveling to McDonogh on Wednesday. The Dragons would win a tie-breaker with Gilman, giving them a sweep over the Greyhounds with a win on Friday, though they would lose a tie-breaker with Boys Latin, with two losses to the Lakers, including the 43-37 loss last Wednesday, giving Rees’ troops the sweep.

8-4 Gilman

8-4 Boys Latin

9-5 Loyola

6-7 McDonogh

5-6 Pallotti

Key league games over the next 10 days;

1/29; Gilman @ Mt St Joe

1/31; St Frances @ John Carroll, Spalding @ Loyola, Pallotti @ Boys Latin, Glenelg Country @ Gilman

2/3; Loyola @ Mt St Joe, Spalding @ John Carroll

2/5; Spalding @ Mt St Joe, Boys Latin @ John Carroll, Pallotti @ Gilman

2/7; Glenelg Country @ John Carroll, Boys Latin @ Spalding

In the MIAA B Conference, Archbishop Curley (17-4) is undefeated in league play, at 8-0, and have won nine straight games since a 67-63 loss to Theodore Roosevelt DC in the Governors Challenge. St Johns Catholic Prep (12-10) stands in second place at 7-2. The Friars knocked off the Vikings in their first meeting, 64-58, with a second meeting on February 7^th. Friends (12-8) and Chapelgate Christian (12-10) are tied for third in the standings at 5-3 and 6-4, respectively. In the C Conference, Park School (9-4) is unbeaten in league play, with a 6-0 record, with Cristo Rey (7-11) a half game back at 6-1.