MIAA/BCL TOURNAMENT: SPALDING, ST. JOE, MCDONOGH & ST. FRANCES REACH SEMIFINALS Cavs to meet Eagles, Gaels to battle Panthers tonight by Tim Koelble 03/03/2003 Archbishop Spalding opened the four-game affair and defense of its title with a 52-46 victory over 7th-seeded Calvert Hall on Sunday at Goucher College in the quarterfinals of the 32nd annual Baltimore Catholic League Tournament. Top-seeded Mount St. Joseph advanced with a 54-44 win over 8th-seed Towson Catholic. In the third game of the day, 3rd-seeded McDonogh went overtime to defeat 6th-seeded St. Maria Goretti, 47-39. To top off the evening, 4th-seeded St. Frances downed 5th-seed Cardinal Gibbons, 72-60. In today’s semifinals, second-seeded Archbishop Spalding meets McDonogh at 5 p.m. and the nightcap will pit top-seeded Mount St. Joseph against St. Frances at 6:45 p.m. The winners return to Goucher College Tuesday night for the championship battle at 7:30. During the regular season Spalding defeated McDonogh twice while St. Frances and St. Joe split, including St. Frances’ 54-52 upset win over the Gaels on February 25. ARCHBISHOP SPALDING 52, CALVERT HALL 46 Archbishop Spalding (23-5) easily handled Calvert Hall twice during the regular season, but found the going tougher en route to its 52-46 quarterfinal victory. “This is tournament time and I hope we learned a lot today and come out Monday not so tentative,” said Spalding coach Mike Glick. “We were tentative, but we made pressure free throws.” Spalding hit 19-of-27 for the game, including 17-of-22 in the second half and five each from Jesse Brooks and Dave Douglas down the stretch. “I thought Brooks and Lawrence Dixon did very well off the bench for us,” Glick said. Dixon contributed four-points and got his first BCL tournament experience as a sophomore. Calvert Hall (14-16) was led by senior Jack McClinton, who finished his career with 20-points, including 14 in the second half. Junior Maurice Martin had a yeoman performance with 14-points and 14-rebounds, most coming in the second half as he constantly battled Spalding’s big front line of 7-footer Will Bowers and the 6’-7” Rudy Gay. Martin also went to the line seven times, the only trips the Cardinals made in the contest. “We were able to make adjustments that kept us in the game,” said Calvert coach Mark Amatucci. “We just have to play a completely correct game to beat a team like Spalding.” Archbishop Spalding 52 Bowers 6-1-13, Brooks 1-8-11, Gay 1-3-5, Douglas 3-6-12, Latonick 0-1-1, Dixon 2-0-4, Durr 3-0-6. Totals 16-19-52. Calvert Hall 46 McClinton 9-0-20, Phillips 2-0-4, Thompson 2-0-4, Morton 1-0-2, Martin 6-2-14, Driver 1-0-2. Spalding 13 12 6 21 – 52 Calvert Hall 9 3 14 20 – 46 Three-point goals—(AS) Brooks; (CH) McClinton 2.