BALTIMORE — The Saint Frances Panthers won their 12th Baltimore Catholic League tournament title, defeating the Mount Carmel Cougars 67-55 in the 55th annual BCL tournament at Loyola University.
WATCH: Saint Frances wins record 12th BCL title over Mount Carmel
It was the 4th meeting between the two teams this season, with Mount Carmel holding a 2-1 advantage heading in, including a win in the MIAA championship. But the Panthers came out with a statement performance.
Saint Frances shot 57% in the first quarter, setting the tone early.
Anthony Smith was a driving force, scoring 9 points in the opening quarter and finishing with 17 on the night.
Smith, a senior and Morgan State commit, was named MVP of the tournament. Carter Fisk added 19 points and was also named to the all-BCL tournament team.
Mount Carmel, the defending BCL champions, refused to go quietly.
Gauge Howard led the way with 7 first-half points, and the Cougars cut the deficit to as few as 3 points in the third quarter on a 3-pointer from Antwan Williams. Junior Mancho then converted an and-1 to tie the game at 43.
But Saint Frances responded with big shot after big shot down the stretch. Terrence Jones finished with 19 points and was also named to the all-BCL tournament team.
The Panthers led 35-28 at halftime and pulled away in the second half to secure the victory.
Saint Frances finished the year with 36 wins, setting a record in the Baltimore Catholic League.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
