MIAA A Semifinals: Notable Performances

We have approached the point in the calendar where the sprint has officially begun in the form of postseason play. Last night on E. Chase Street, an MIAA A Conference Semifinal matchup took place between St. Frances and Mount St. Joseph. If you're new here, this is the rivalry known around town as 'The Battle of Baltimore.' In last night's edition, the hosting Panthers delivered multiple knockout punches to gain and maintain control as they'd go on to advance to the championship game on Sunday by a final score of 83-62.   St. Frances will face Mount Carmel on Sunday at UMBC in a rematch of last year's MIAA title game.    Fisk had a career night backed by his 42 points, which ties for most point scored from a BCL player in a postseason setting dating all the way back to 1976, per BCL Director of Communication Chris Pika. Simply put, there wasn't a player on Mount St. Joseph that could keep Fisk in front of him, which set an early tone for attacking the rim and drawing contact as 11 of his 20 first half points came from the free-throw line. In the second half, he remained in his flow state, but in the third quarter was getting downhill in transition for scores when he wasn't breaking down his defender in isolations. The threat of his three-level scoring ability put his defender at his mercy and when he's able to attack gaps and convert at the charity stripe in the efficient manner that he did last night (17/19), it leads to scoring implosions like we saw in the most pivotal contests. Fisk also grabbed seven boards and accounted for four assists in the win.     The thing I love about Jones is while he's one of the most explosive scorers in the 2027 DMV class, he's able to adjust and remain effective when a teammate is having a career night like Fisk was. He plays the role of a demoralizing shot maker as the defense's attention and effort shifted towards containing Fisk only for Jones to come sprinting off pin downs or elevator screens and burying back-breaking three's. He followed Fisk with 19 points on the night on 4/7 from deep. It was his ability to embrace Fisk being hot by getting into the paint at will and looking for his running mate whether it was in a half court setting or in transition. Along with his efficient scoring performance, Jones added seven rebounds and five assists on the evening.     MSJ played from behind from beginning to end last night, but Simley continued his strong stretch of games that has helped the Gaels spark a late season run into last night's contest. The 6-foot-7 hybrid forward was extremely aggressive in the second half forcing the refs' whistle attacking the bucket with his herky jerky attack from the top of the key or at the elbow. He went 9/12 from the line in the second half and hit a couple of jumpers in the first two frames to lead the Gaels with 14 points while pulling in seven rebounds. MSJ awaits BCL play where they'll face Calvert Hall in first-round action.     St. Frances' defensive focus was doing all they could to make BCL Player of the Year [player_tooltip player_id='2252277' first='BJ' last='Ranson']'s life difficult. They executed that game plan effectively holding him to just eight points and just seven shots on the night. That means the ball was in Word's hands with expectations of initiating actions and creating plays for both himself and others with frequency. He finished with 13 points and was shot-ready off swing passes as the Panther defense dug on any penetration from MSJ. His quick trigger and excellent lift on his shot makes it difficult for any defender to get a clean contest when being a second late on a closeout. Word also did a nice job with his ball security and making his defender pay when they'd gamble with quick bursts to the bucket.     Fresh off his commitment to Morgan State, Smith put together a strong first half filled with hustle plays that impacted the game beyond the box score. The BCL Defensive Player of the Year was tasked with the assignment of Ranson, which exceeded expectations in keeping him contained. Smith's night was cut short after 2027 MSJ guard [player_tooltip player_id='2353590' first='Zikom' last='Etolue'] threw down a dunk and proceeded to taunt Smith that engaged a reaction between both Smith and his teammate. It would ultimately lead to Etolue and Smith being ejected, although no one was harmed during the dispute. Smith's stat line would read four points and six rebounds, but again, his impact beyond the stat sheet was critical in building early momentum that would sustain throughout the second half.

We have approached the point in the calendar where the sprint has officially begun in the form of postseason play. Last night on E. Chase Street, an MIAA A Conference Semifinal matchup took place between St. Frances and Mount St. Joseph. If you're new here, this is the rivalry known around town as 'The Battle of Baltimore.' In last night's edition, the hosting Panthers delivered multiple knockout punches to gain and maintain control as they'd go on to advance to the championship game on Sunday by a final score of 83-62.