MIAA A Basketball Final Four Set; WCAC Playoffs Get Underway Thursday

The regions top private school basketball conferences begin the process of crowning champions

Longtime Mount St. Joseph basketball coach Pat Clatchey has his team in the hunt again for the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) A Conference title. The Gaels defeated Archbishop Spalding Tuesday evening to advance to Thursday’s semifinals against Baltimore rival Saint Frances Academy. / Derek Toney

The Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) A Conference basketball final four is set after quarterfinal action around the Baltimore metropolitan corridor Tuesday evening.

St. Frances Pulls Way Late in Eliminating Pallotti

Saint Frances Academy, the No. 2 squad in the latest High School On SI Maryland Top 25 rankings, pulled away from Saint Vincent Pallotti for a 72-57 home decision. Chance McCoy led four double-digit scorers with 17 points for Saint Frances.

The Panthers (32-6 overall) outscored Pallotti, 22-9, over the final eight minutes after trailing at halftime (35-34). Saint Frances will host longtime Baltimore City rival Mount Saint Joseph in Thursday’s semifinals.

St. Joe Outlasts Spalding Behind BJ Ranson

No. 5 Mount Saint Joseph outlasted 11th-ranked Archbishop Spalding, 66-56, in the best match of the quarterfinal round. Senior guard and Saint Joseph’s University recruit BJ Ranson scored 26 points for the Gaels (30-6), who overcame a 10-point first quarter deficit.

Chauncey Word scored nine of his 15 points in the final frame as Mount Saint Joseph outscored the Cavaliers, 17-8. Sophomore post Braxton Bogard finished with 16 points for Spalding (19-13).

Defending Champion Mount Carmel Cruises Into the Semifinals

No. 4 Our Lady of Mount Carmel began its title defense with a 64-47 victory over Boys’ Latin School. Holy Cross-bound guard Tristen Wilson led the Cougars (26-10) with 12 points.

Glenelg Country Surprises John Carroll

The Dragons (16-8) spoiled John Carroll’s Senior Night with a 73-72 decision Friday evening. Glenelg Country lost to Mount Carmel, 64-50, during the regular season.

Saint Frances swept Mount Saint Joseph during the regular season. Thursday’s winners advance to the MIAA A final, Sunday afternoon at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County’s Chesapeake Employees Insurance Arena.

WCAC playoffs start Thursday

The Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) boys and girls postseason tournament is set with opening round matches Thursday.

The Academy of the Holy Cross, ranked No. 14 in this week’s High School on SI Maryland Top 25, hosts Archbishop Carroll (D.C,). No. 13 Saint Mary’s Ryken welcomes Bishop Denis J. O’Connell (Va.)

No. 14 Our Lady of Good Counsel visits 15th-ranked Bishop McNamara in a boys opening round match. Saint Mary’s Ryken is at Bishop Ireton (Va.).

The tourney resumes Saturday with the girls quarterfinals at Gonzaga College (D.C.) and the boys quarters at Gallaudet University in the nation’s capital.

On the girls side, No. 5 Our Lady of Good Counsel takes on Saint Paul VI Catholic (Va.), followed by Bishop McNamara, the nation and Maryland’s No. 1 squad playing the Ryken/O’Connell winner. 

Saint John’s College (D.C.) plays the Holy Cross/Carroll winner. No. 6 Elizabeth Seton and Bishop Ireton (Va.) meets in the last quarterfinal match. 

DeMatha Catholic, the top-ranked team in the High School on SI Maryland boys poll, begins its quest against Carroll in the last quarterfinal contest Saturday evening. The Good Counsel/McNamara winner matches up with Virginia No. 1 and national No. 3 Paul VI. 

The Ryken/Ireton winner plays D.C. No. 1 Saint John’s College, and Gonzaga and O’Connell meet in the opening quarterfinal match.

The boys and girls quarterfinal winners advance to the semifinals Sunday at American University. The finals take place Monday evening at American.