Higher seeds dominate as MIAA basketball playoffs get underway
Favorites go 6-for-7, across all three conferences, on their home courts
It was a good night to host a MIAA basketball playoff game, on Tuesday, as six of the seven higher seed teams, across the A, B and C Conferences, won on their home courts on the first night of 2025 playoff action.
In the A Conference, where four quarterfinal games took place, the two No. 1 seeds and both No. 2 seeds won handily.
In Essex, top-seeded Mount Carmel (29-4) built a big first half lead and turned back second half push by John Carroll (17-13) to claim a 60-53 victory. Tristen Wilson scored 16 points to lead the Cougars, while Mario Tatum added 14. Caden Chinnia-Falline led John Carroll with with 10 points.
Mount Carmel, which is 14-0 on its home court this season, will be back home on Thursday to host Archbishop Spalding in a semifinal contest. The Cavaliers (23-7) advance on Tuesday with a 70-63 win over Loyola Blakefield (18-16).
Colt Busse scored 21 points to pace Spalding. Braxton Bogard also added 16 and TJ Moutrie netted 12 for the Cavaliers. Mason Ellison was Loyola’s leading scorer with 14 points, while Terry Brooks III, Jesse Legree and Marlon Williams each scored 11 points.
Glenelg Country, the winner of the Black Division, advanced to the semifinals with a 67-58 win over McDonogh. The Dragons rode the back of Patrick Curtin, who scored 18 of his game-high 30 points in the second quarter, when GCS took control by outscoring the Eagles 27-10.
The win sets up an exciting semifinal matchup on Thursday against St. Frances, in Ellicott City. In the renewals of one the state’s best basketball rivalries, St. Frances (27-6) pulled away from Mount St. Joseph (20-16) in second half of their quarterfinal meeting and secured 75-52 victory to send the Gaels to a rare early playoff exit. The Panthers’ Terence Jones III scored 22 points to lead all scorers, while Jasiah Cannady scored 15 points and Trent Egbiremolen added 13. St. Joe was led by BJ Ranson’s 14 points.
St. Frances will play at Glenelg Country, a 67-58 home victor over McDonogh in the other A semifinal game, behind 30 points from Pat Curtin.
Both semifinal games will take place on Thursday and MIAA A championship game is slated for Saturday evening, at 6 pm, at UMBC’s CEI Arena.
In the B Conference quarterfinals, St. Mary’s was the only lower seed, for any conference, to win on the road, as it traveled to Carroll County and edged Gerstell Academy, 48-47. James DiBitetto led three Saints in double figures with 14 points. Tyler Tillman added 12 and Gavin Johnson scored 15. Second seeded Annapolis Area Christian won the other B Conference quarterfinal, routing third-seed Concordia Prep, 74-56.
On Thursday’s semifinal contests, St. Mary’s will visit Severn and St. Paul’s will host Annapolis Area Christian. Thursday’s winners will meet for the B Conference crown on Saturday at 4 p.m. in the B Conference championship game at UMBC.
The C Conference tournament was not scheduled to start until Thursday with two semifinal games, but because of the potential of winter weather, but games have been moved up. Top-seeded Saints Peter & Paul hosted fourth-seed Beth Tfiloh on Tuesday and rolled to a 61-44 victory.
The second semifinal game will now take place on Wednesday evening as third-seeded Cristo Rey travels to second-seeded Key School. The winner will advance to Saturday’s final, also at UMBC (8 p.m.), where it will take on Saints Peter & Paul for the league championship.