Gaels dominate in OT, secure win
In ‘tight game’ at William Wells Classic, Bishop, Smith score 17 for Mount St. Joe
The first game of the inaugural William Wells Classic lived up to its billing with the area’s top two boys basketball teams needing overtime to determine a winner.
It was No. 1 Mount Saint Joseph that executed at both ends in the four extra minutes to come away with a 66-60 win over No. 2 Poly at UMBC’s RAC Arena.
Sophomore guard James Bishop scored 17 points for the Gaels, including a four-point play and a 3-pointer on consecutive possessions early in the fourth quarter after the Engineers appeared to be taking control of the game. After Mount Saint Joseph junior guard Tyree Myers tied the game at 56 with one made free throw with 3.7 seconds left, the Gaels got a basket from junior forward Jalen Smith (17 points) on their opening possession in overtime, causing turnovers on Poly’s first three possessions and scoring the first seven points to take hold of the game.
Mount Saint Joseph improved to 8-0 — also getting 13 points from All-Metro senior Darryl Morsell. The Engineers fell to 2-1, with All-Metro senior forward De’Vondre Perry scoring a game-high 19 points before fouling out with 5:41 left in the fourth quarter.
“It was a tight game all the way through. Poly is definitely a tough bunch — scrappy — but we found a way to win in overtime,” Morsell said. “They had two main players foul out [Perry and forward Amani Walker], and that minimized some of the size, and then in overtime we were just attacking them and able to get to the rim and made enough free throws to win.”
There have been occasional Baltimore City public-private school games since Baltimore City left the Maryland Scholastic Association for the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association in 1991. But this tournament, Baltimore Catholic League commissioner Jack Degele taking the lead with it five years in the making, was the first effort focused on bringing the top Baltimore City and BCL schools together. The plan is for it to be an annual event set to take place every second Saturday in December. Wells, who was inducted into the BCL Hall of Fame last spring, is a Dunbar graduate who founded the St. Frances boys basketball program and spent 28 years as its head coach. The opening act was sensational. The Gaels had a 29-23 lead at the half before Perry immediately showed his intentions of trying to take over when he drove to the basket on the Engineers’ opening possession of the third quarter and was fouled. He made one free throw but went on to score nine points in the quarter — DeShaun Mosley also hitting a big 3-pointer in the quarter to help give Poly a 41-38 lead going into the fourth quarter.
With the Engineers still up 43-40, Bishop hit a 3-pointer in the right corner and Perry picked up his fourth foul – giving the Gaels a 44-43 lead with 6:39 left. Bishop went on to hit another 3 pointer and then the next Gaels possession, Perry fouled out with 5:41 to play and the Gaels now leading 49-45 on two free throws from Morsell.
The Engineers didn’t waver. When Torrin Stephens scored inside off an interior pass from Cleveland Horton with 55 seconds left in regulation, they had a 56-54 lead. Myers would send it into overtime, getting fouled going to the basket on two possessions and each time making one of two free throws.
With the Engineers short-handed, the Gaels dominated in overtime to close out the win.
“There have been some private schools and public [City] schools games played, but I like the concept and idea behind this tournament. Coach Wells is an East Baltimore guy, Dunbar grad, he’s the founder of the St. Frances program, so I think it’s great to recognize and honor him in this fashion,” Mount Saint Joseph coach Pat Clatchey said. P—Perry 19, Mims 18, Ali 2, Mosley 6, Jones 4, Horton 6, Walker 3, Stephens 2. Totals: 21 13-20 60. MSJ—Myers 7, Bishop 17, Morsell 13, Smith 17, N. Jackson 4, Robinson 6, McMillan 2. Totals 19 25-37 66. Half: MSJ, 29-23.