BCL Quarterfinal Rundown

Goucher College played host for the 52nd annual BCL Tournament for four quarterfinal matchups. For this article, we'll do a quick rundown of the action that unfolded.   No. 3 St. Frances vs No. 6 Archbishop Spalding   It was a back and forth affair between the Panthers and the Cavs as Spalding continuously answered back whenever St. Frances would make a run and vice versa. Pittsburgh commit [player_tooltip player_id='1114066' first='Carlton' last='Carrington'] was up to his usual tricks putting the ball in the basket in a variety of ways to lead with 17 points. Maryland pledge [player_tooltip player_id='957025' first='Jahnathan' last='Lamothe'] made winning play after winning play with his advanced feel and court vision as a passer. He followed Carrington with 12 points of his own but also had over a handful of assists and made things happen in crunch time to seal the win.   The story for Spalding was 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1370513' first='Malik' last='Washington'] and while he's a premier football recruit as a quarterback, you can sign me up to watch him on the hardwood any day of the week. He plays with elite energy and provides multiple efforts at both ends. If he wasn't scoring on inside touches within the flow, he was crashing the offensive glass with reckless abandon. Defensively he was closing down the glass, altering shots with his length and guarding on the perimeter when it was necessary. Washington recorded the highest scoring game with 25 points.   No. 2 St. Maria Goretti vs Loyola Blakefield   It was another tightly contest game as Goretti escaped with a 56-51 win over Loyola. Unsigned senior point guard Jahson Johnson's clutch gene was on full display as he converted on seven of his eight free-throws in the fourth quarter, which helped contribute to 17-point effort. As usual, he controlled the pace while taking advantage of any driving lane for tough finishes around the rim. 2023 unsigned wing [player_tooltip player_id='1573248' first='Najeh' last='Allen'] got off to a quick start to help set a tone and would go on to finish with 14.   2025 guard [player_tooltip player_id='1371860' first='Jordan' last='Hammond'] put together a strong showing of 17 points as he operated regularly off the bounce in ball screens or in iso's. Despite the loss, it was a high note for Hammond with AAU season right around the corner. 2025 point guard Quron Elliot had moments as well. Both Elliot and Hammond had a tall task of going against a senior-laden backcourt from Goretti and proved they'll both be prospects to monitor moving forward.   No. 1 Mount St. Joseph vs No. 8 Calvert Hall   The Gaels took the floor for the first time since losing the MIAA A Conference championship game and quickly built a commanding lead on Calvert Hall where they'd end up winning by a final score of 73-59. 2024 Mount St. Joe forward continues to stack productive performance as he led the Gaels with 19 in this victory. He got to the rim in a hurry on straight-line drives and used his strength combined with his length to finish around the rim. One drive that stood out among the rest came in the second half in semi transition when he caught it at the top of the key before taking two dribbles and throwing down a one-handed flush. UMBC commit [player_tooltip player_id='1049863' first='Ace' last='Valentine'] followed up with 15 points and future Illinois big man [player_tooltip player_id='957018' first='Amani' last='Hansberry'] chipped in with 13.   2024 Calvert Hall point guard Tyrin Bizzell was dynamic off the dribble and thrived in driving situations using his strong hand. He was rewarded early and often for his efforts in attacking the basket and initiating contact to earn trips to the free-throw line where he converted 12-of-13 attempts. 2024 guard [player_tooltip player_id='1366890' first='Brendan' last='Johnson'] used his shot making off the catch to make a splash and ended with 20 points as the duo combined for 47 of the 59.   No. 4 Mount Carmel vs No. 5 John Carroll   The Cougars got off to a quick start and had complete control going into halftime, but John Carroll stayed the course and fought their way back to within five as the game winded down to the 4-minute mark. Mt. Carmel sustained their run and then put a run of their own together within the last two minutes to run away with a 79-63. 2025 guard [player_tooltip player_id='1370512' first='Mario' last='Tatum'] was locked in from deep as he canned six triples on his way to 20 points. 2023 forward [player_tooltip player_id='1482974' first='Omarion' last='Reid'] was too much inside for John Carroll to handle. The 6'6 big had multiple rim-rattling dunks, strong finishes through contact and was efficient from the line. 2024 guard Drew Dixon used his shifty quickness to get to his spots in the mid-range or to create driving opportunities for crafty layup finishes.   Yale commit [player_tooltip player_id='957030' first='Jeannot' last='Basima'] did what he does best by relentlessly attacking the rim on straight-line drives. The 6'3 guard is one of the more determined drivers that I've evaluated and even with the opposing teams being well aware of his strengths, still cannot keep him contained. He drove his way to a game-high 21 points in the loss. 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1495115' first='Theartis' last='Battle'] showcased more of intriguing upside. The 6'4 sophomore can score it off the bounce from inside the arc and use his length to score over smaller defenders. Battle also recorded multiple blocks as a weakside defender.

Goucher College played host for the 52nd annual BCL Tournament for four quarterfinal matchups. For this article, we'll do a quick rundown of the action that unfolded.