Bcl

Sophomore guard Phil Booth scored 10 of his team-high 19 points in the third quarter and added a last-minute blocked shot as No. 5 Mount St. Joseph fended off Archbishop Spalding, 54-49, in the Baltimore Catholic League semfinals at Stevenson University. Junior guard Kameron Williams added 13 points and Phil Lawrence provided 12 as the Gaels' balance offset a 29-point effort from Spalding senior guard Greg Brown. Mount St. Joseph improved to 26-6 on the season and will seek the program's fourth BCL championship Sunday.

An opportunity to repeat as Baltimore Catholic League champion didn't come easy to the John Carroll boys basketball team. In Friday's quarterfinal against St. Maria Goretti, the No. 3 Patriots needed three overtime periods to advance. In Saturday's semifinal against St. Frances, they got a free throw from senior forward Jarred Jones with .3 of a second on the clock to come away with a controversial 42-41 win over the No. 10 Panthers at Stevenson University in Owings Mills. It's the eighth straight time John Carroll has gotten the better of St. Frances over the past two seasons.

Last year, Mount St. Joseph guard Kameron Williams opened eyes with a breakthrough sophomore season that earned him first-team All-Baltimore Catholic League honors. This season, he has done even more in leading the No. 5 Gaels (24-6) to a first-place finish in the BCL and the top seed in the upcoming playoffs. Averaging 18 points, four rebounds and two assists in his second year on varsity, the 6-foot-2 Williams was named the BCL Player of the Year at the league's annual banquet Monday night at Snyder's Restaurant in Linthicum.

Fifth-ranked John Carroll used a mix of zone defenses to try to stifle No. 4 Mount St. Joseph and its explosive junior forward, Kameron Williams, in Friday night's crucial Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference and Baltimore Catholic League game. The strategy worked for three-and-a-half quarters, before the Gaels began to pick up the pressure and eventually took control. After forcing its third consecutive overtime game, Mount St. Joseph dictated play in the extra period and escaped with a 49-46 victory.

The 41st annual Baltimore Catholic League tournament will take place at Stevenson University, making the move from its recent home, Loyola University. The tournament begins on Feb. 24 with quarterfinal-round play and runs through the championship game on Feb. 26. Quarterfinal-round games will start at 3:30 p.m., Feb. 24, followed by semifinal games at 5 and 7 p.m., Feb. 25, with the championship game slated for 1 p.m. Feb. 26. All the games will take place at the school's new athletic complex located on Owings Mills Blvd.

The John Carroll boys basketball team traveled to St. Frances on Tuesday night with nothing fancy in mind. The Patriots wanted to control the flow of the game by playing sound defense and varying their pace on offense. Mission accomplished. Outscoring the No. 3 Panthers by 10 points in a take-charge third quarter, the No. 6 Patriots came away with a 70-61 win to continue their recent dominance of St. Frances. It's the sixth straight time the Patriots have defeated the Panthers, including the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference and Baltimore Catholic League title games last year.

Notre Dame men's basketball coach Mike Brey will be the guest speaker at the Baltimore Catholic Leagu's 2nd Hall of Fame banquet, the league announced Thursday. Local broadcaster Keith Mills will be the emcee for the event, which will be held May 3 at the Rolling Road Country Club in Catonsville.  The 2012 induction class includes Tim Coles (Cardinal Gibbons, '82), Leon Dickerson (Cardinal Gibbons), Darryle Edwards (Calvert Hall, '81), Darnell Harris (St. Frances, '04) Phil Lane (Saint Maria Goretti, '96)

The Baltimore Catholic League will hold its 2nd Hall of Fame Banquet May 3 at 6 p.m. at Rolling Road Country Club in Catonsville. This year's inductees include six players: Tim Coles (Cardinal Gibbons, 1982), Leon Dickerson (Cardinal Gibbons, 1988), Darryle Edwards (Calvert Hall, 1981), Darnell Harris (St. Frances, 2004), Phil Lane (St. Maria Goretti, 1996) and Robbie O'Conor (Loyola, 1975). The class will also include one coach, Mark Amatucci (Calvert Hall), and one contributor, Larry Callahan (former Cardinal Gibbons athletic director)

Mount St. Joseph guard Kameron Williams ignited the home crowd with consecutive behind-the-back dribbles before throwing a deft pass to Charlie Jones for an easy layup in the final seconds of the third quarter against John Carroll. Williams was a catalyst at both ends of the court, scoring 17 points and leading the fourth-ranked Gaels to a 69-57 victory over the fifth-ranked Patriots in front of an overflow crowd that included Maryland men's basketball coach Mark Turgeon. The victory goes a long way even at the midpoint of the season as the Gaels have taken control of the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference and the Baltimore Catholic League.

When: Tuesday, 7 p.m. Coaches: Tony Martin, John Carroll; Pat Clatchey, Mount St. Joseph PLAYERS TO WATCH John Carroll: Jarred Jones, Sr., F; Mike Owona, Jr., C; Rodney Elliott, Jr., G. Mount St. Joseph: Kameron Williams, Jr., G; Phil Booth, So. G; Lavon Long, Jr., F. Outlook: The host Gaels opened the season with 12 straight wins before falling in the semifinal round of the competitive Leon...