Playing on hurting legs and without All-Metro point guard Derrick Snowden down the stretch, top-ranked Archbishop Spalding escaped last night with a 46-44 victory over No. 8 McDonogh, which played without 6-foot-5 standout David Lunn.
In a rarity for him, Snowden (nine points) fouled out on a touch violation with 2: 29 remaining and his team leading 45-41. Host Spalding (6-3) built three seven-point leads in the third period, but for most of the game, the margin was less than four.
With their top player, Lunn, a second-team All-Metro forward last season, in street clothes, the visiting Eagles (5-4) nearly pulled off an upset -- Eric King just missing what would have been a game-winning three-pointer as time expired.
Lunn, who is headed to the University of Delaware, had to sit out after being ejected from a game in Hill, Pa., during the weekend.
Spalding was 1-2 over the weekend in the Gonzaga Classic in Washington, and the Cavaliers were tired, coach Mike Glick said. Spalding hit only eight of 20 from the line and 18-for-53 (34 percent) from the field.
"Our schedule wore us down," said Glick, in his first season. "We had three rigorous games in the last five days on a [bigger] college court, and we're a tired basketball team. When I saw this game on the schedule, it definitely worried me. But McDonogh played a phenomenal game, and [T. C. Cosby] shot the ball as well as I've ever seen a high school kid shoot the ball."
Cosby, a 6-1 senior, and Joe Benson (nine points, five rebounds, one block) never allowed the Cavaliers take over the game.
Cosby's game-high 15 points came on five three-pointers, three in the second half.
Spalding denied Cosby a chance at his sixth to win the game, with sophomore reserve Chris Rutland denying him the ball in a box-and-one defense.
Usually high-scoring swingman Tremaine Robinson was held to six points and six rebounds for Spalding, but junior Chris Ravello's 15 points (11 in first half) and Darren "Batman" Johnson's 11 points and game-high 12 rebounds helped.
Spalding took last year's meeting, 60-53, at McDonogh with Lunn scoring 22 points.
"All we wanted to do was keep the game close and give ourselves a chance to win, " said McDonogh coach Matt MacMullan.
