10 Best: St. Frances vs Mt. St. Joseph
Yesterday at Goucher College, the Baltimore Catholic League championship was up for grabs. Two of the best teams the state of Maryland has to offer in St. Frances and Mt. St. Joseph battled it out for the full 32 minutes, but it was the Panthers who sneaked away with a 52-50 victory.
Here are the 10 best from the contest.
MVP | Adrian Baldwin | St. Frances ’20
Look up clutch in the dictionary and at least for yesterday, Baldwin’s picture could be seen next to it. The 6-foot-1 point guard scored 11 of his team-high 13 points in the final 4:33 to help the Panthers rally back and secure the BCL title. Baldwin can get it going from deep when he sees one go in, but Sunday the majority of his baskets came from attacking the basket and finishing through contact. Baldwin was also named BCL Tournament MVP
Best Offensive Performance | James Bishop | Mt. St. Joseph ’19
Usually when you watch Bishop play, you can expect to see at least three or four triples go through the net. Yesterday, he finished 0-for-5 beyond the arc, but he didn’t let that stop him from putting on a show. Bishop finished with a game-high 17 points that included a handful of crafty finishes around the rim in transition and converted on five of his six free-throw attempts.
Best Defensive Performance | Tim McDonald | Mt. St. Joseph ’18
McDonald was very active on the defensive end. While he didn’t overwhelmingly stuff the stat sheet, he made key rotations that caused missed shots by the Panthers. He was active in the passing lanes, recording three steals and finished with one blocked shot.
Best Intangibles | Elijah Epps | St. Frances ’18
If you’ve seen St. Frances play this season, it’s no secret that Epps is the clear senior leader. His communication on the defensive end is key to their overall success. Not only was he doing that this game, he was also in teammate’s ears making sure everyone was on the same page with plays, match ups, etc.
Best Underclassmen | Adrian Baldwin & Jordan Toles | St. Frances ’20
Baldwin and Toles finished with 13 points and 12 points respectively to lead the Panthers. Toles as usual, was dedicated to attacking the rim and finishing. Despite struggling from the free-throw line going 4-for8, Toles shot 4-for-7 from the field and came up big off the bench. Baldwin shot 4-for-12 from the field with a team-high 13 points.
Best Rebounder | Jalen Smith | Mt. St. Joseph ’18
Smith went down with a hip injury that forced him to miss most of the third quarter. After spending time with the trainers, he was able to return and continue his dominance on the glass. The Maryland commit had a game-high 13 points to pair with his 16 points.
Jalen Smith not in good shape… can barely put all of his weight on his left leg…. pic.twitter.com/xGXpDd45SA
— Capitol Hoops (@CapitolHoops) March 4, 2018
Best Passer | Adrian Baldwin | St. Frances ’20
There weren’t a lot of assists in this game. Baldwin finished with three, which was tied for a game-high. More times than not, Baldwin has the best court vision of every player on the floor. There was at least two occurrences where Baldwin delivered a no-look pass that his teammate wasn’t expecting, but could’ve been an easy lay up.
Best Guy Off The Bench | Jordan Toles | St. Frances ’20
Toles has been one of the best sixth men in the state this season. He is instant offense for head coach Nick Myles and nothing was different in this contest. Toles finished with 12 points, six rebounds, one block and one steal.
Best Hustle Guy | Tim McDonald | Mt. St. Joseph ’18
When Smith went down with his injury, it was key for a froncourt player on the Gaels to step up. That was McDonald. The senior finished with six points, shooting 3-for-4 from the field, to go with 10 rebounds, three steals, two assists and one block.
Best Stories Going Forward
Both teams will take part in the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament. St. Frances will take on Bishop O’Connell while Mt. St. Joseph faces off against Gonzaga. It should make for some classic match ups and bragging rights between MIAA/BCL and WCAC powerhouses.