CAVS AND CRUSADERS TO MEET MONDAY FOR A CONFERENCE TITLE Second-ranked Cardinal Gibbons snapped an eight game losing streak, which stretched over five years, to West Baltimore rival Mount St. Joseph and claimed a 60-51 victory over the top-ranked Gaels, in a MIAA A Conference semifinal playoff basketball game, last night in Irvington. The win advances the Crusaders (27-5) into Monday's A Conference title game, to be played at Gilman (8:00 pm), against third-ranked Archbishop Spalding (24-6), which knocked off #4 St. Frances, 62-59, in yesterday's other semifinal, at Spalding. Gibbons, seeded fourth, held a 10-point advantage with less than three minutes to play, but needed a 9-0 run, in the game's final 1:35, after St. Joe sliced its deficit to just one, at 52-51. The rally evoked images of the last meeting between the two teams, when the Gaels erased an 18-point Crusader lead in the final minutes of the fourth quarter before going on to a 93-90 victory in double overtime. Gibbons' senior center Leon Williams, who dominated the defensive glass, had a game-high 17 rebounds and scored four of his team's nine points in the decisive surge. The Crusaders also got a big effort from seldom used point junior point guard Clinton Sellers, who came off the bench to score eight-points, all in the second half, and dish out six assists. Brian Johnson led St. Joe (25-4) with 12-points, while senior Will Thomas had nine-points and 10 rebounds. At Spalding, All-American Rudy Gay scored 21-points and delivered several spectacular dunks to help the second-seeded Cavaliers (24-6) pull off the close decision over the third-seeded Panthers (22-7). Spalding, which trailed by as many as 13 in the first half, took control of the game, at 51-45, with a 12-5 run at the start of the fourth quarter and never relinquished the lead, despite several challenges from the Panthers. Senior Gordon Brown, who scored 18-points, pulled St. Frances within one, 58-57, with a long three-pointer with just 24-seconds remaining. Gay, however, countered with a traditional three-point play to stretch the lead back to four. Sophomore Rashawn Alexander also scored 18 for St. Frances, while Jesse Brooks and Justin Castleberry combined for 22 for Spalding. For Spalding, Monday's game will mark its fifth straight appearance in the A Conference championship game and the Cavaliers will be seeking their third league title. Spalding also owns a MIAA C Conference championship from the 1996-1997 season. Gibbons, on the other hand, is seeking its first MIAA basketball title. The two split their two regular season meetings, with Spalding taking a 71-70 victory in early January and Gibbons rolling to a 75-60 victory on the first of this month.