No. 2 Spalding boys basketball slips past No. 3 Mount Saint Joseph, 62-60

Spalding boys basketball leaned on new and old to get past Mount Saint Joseph, 62-60, in Baltimore Catholic League play Wednesday.

Sophomore forwards Braxton Bogard and North County transfer Nash Avery combined to score 45 points, seniors Moe Lonergan and TJ Moultrie hit key late baskets and senior guard Kam Carter secured the tight win with two free throws with four seconds left to play.

Spalding (4-1) improved to 3-0 in the BCL, while Mount Saint Joseph (7-2) dropped its second tight home game to fall to 1-2 in the league.

After Mount Saint Joseph senior guard BJ Ranson (team-high 20 points) got the game tied at 60 on a strong drive to the basket — he was fouled and missed the ensuing free throw — the Cavaliers put the ball in Carter’s hands. He was on his way to the basket to the right of the lane when a Gaels defender was called for a foul.

Carter sank the two free throws and the Cavs’ defense forced a desperation heave from the Gaels’ Aaron Early near midcourt that was well off the mark.

The league’s close games early on is a clear indication of how tough things will be in a tightly contested season. Wednesday, the Cavaliers gutted one out.

“This early stretch of the season, we’re playing back-to-back games, practicing and not getting any real breaks so it’s just the toughest teams win and we had to stick together and pull it out,” Carter said.

Bogard and Avery, both 6 feet 8, dominated stretches to help the Cavaliers come back from an early deficit and then maintain a slim lead for most of the game, the biggest a 44-37 margin with 2:22 to play in the third quarter. Avery opened with the Cavaliers’ first eight points, the pair knocked down three 3-pointers in the second quarter before Bogard scored the first eight points in the third quarter.

All the while, the Gaels kept it close with a balanced effort in the fourth quarter, consecutive baskets from Ranson cutting the lead to 57-54 with 3:54 to play.

After Lonergan’s 3 put the lead at 60-54, the Gaels hunkered down on defense and got baskets from freshman Ciar Word (10 points) and brother Chauncey Word before Ranson’s tough drive got them even.

Mount Saint Joseph coach Pat Clatchey, who declined an interview after the game, was disappointed at the foul call that preceded Carter’s two made free throws that ultimately decided the outcome.

Spalding coach Josh Pratt was proud of his team’s late poise early in the season to earn the tough road win.

“For us, to execute down the stretch was a big deal. What I loved about our team was we kept our composure and we what we did different from other games, everybody was talking, but we were all on the same page,” he said.

Bogard, who earned All-Metro first-team honors as a freshman, is enjoying his time alongside Avery. The two did well to control the boards and block shots in addition to the offense they brought Wednesday.

“It makes my job a lot easier,” he said. “I get a little break on rebounding, on blocking shots and it kind of lets me do what I do a lot easier. So it’s great having someone that big and talented playing with me, especially in games like this when we can play off each other and play together.”

Both teams return to play on Friday with Mount Saint Joseph traveling to Glenelg Country at 6 p.m. and Spalding hosting St. Frances at 7.

Spalding — 12-21-15-14 — 62

MSJ — 15-14-14-17 — 60

S — Bogard 23, Avery 22, Lonergan 8, Carter 4, Moultrie 3, Middleton 2

MSJ — Ranson 20, Early Jr. 14, Ci. Word 10, Ch. Word 6, Simley 3, Etolue 3, Anthony 2

Have a news tip? Contact Glenn Graham at ggraham@baltsun.com410-332-6636 and x.com/GlennGrahamSun.

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