New York City power Rice, ranked No. 11 by USA Today, was led by UConn-bound guard Kemba Walker in a 70-53 win Saturday in the Charm City Classic at Loyola?s Reitz Arena.

Walker scored 22 points and the Raiders (1-0) survived the Owls (0-1), who made an 8-0 run early in the second half to cut their deficit to four.

“They?re a top program in the country,” Towson Catholic coach Josh Pratt said. “You play these games to get better and you play these games to get better for your league.”

The Owns host National Christian (Tuesday, 7 p.m.) and visit DeMatha (Dec. 9, 5p.m.) before hosting John Carroll on Dec. 11.

“You want to play your best basketball in February,” Pratt said. “We have to be more disciplined, and we can do it. I?m disappointed that we lost, but I?m happy with the way we played hard and responded.”

The Owls, who graduated Examiner player of the year Malcolm Delaney and All-Examiner first-team forward Donte Greene from last year?s 32-6 team, found their most success inside, with Greene?s cousin, 6-foot-6 senior Brandon Greene.

Greene, who left the game for a two-minute stretch in the first half after twisting his right knee, answered any concerns about his physical wellbeing with an energizing dunk in the second half.

“We?ve just got to rebound better as a team and play better on defense,” Greene said. “We lost the game because we weren?t able to get back on defense.”

It was the first return to Loyola for Rice coach and ex-Greyhound player Maurice Hicks, who won his 283rd game with the Raiders Saturday.

“It was good, I saw some faces I haven?t seen in a long time,” Hicks said. “It brought back some good memories. It was my first time back. It was exciting to bring the guys back.”

Carter finished with 18 points, and senior guard Chris Fouch, who has committed to Drexel, scored 10.

Earlier in the day, John Carroll won the opening game of the Classic, defeating St. Mary?s, 85-72. In the second game, Gonzaga (D.C.) blew out Calvert Hall, 73-37, despite 18 points from Cardinals sophomore forward Jon Graham.

Mosley goes for 26 in St. Frances loss

Two entirely different St. Frances teams showed up Saturday night ? one with Sean Mosley, the other without him.

The Maryland-bound guard scored 24 first-half points as the Panthers opened a 15-point lead at the midway point, but Neumann-Goretti?s defense held the 6-foot-5 senior to just two points after the half in a 62-57 comeback win in the Charm City Classic at Loyola?s Reitz Arena.

The Philadelphia school finished the game on a 16-0 run to stun the Panthers (0-1).

“It?s just a lesson for me and the team,” Mosley said. “We have to come out and make adjustments. I hit a lot of shots in the first half; the second half I was a little quiet. But we were up, and we should have won the game.”

Mosley dropped 24 points in the first half, hitting 4-of-4 from three-point range. He scored nine points in the Panthers? 14-0 run over a stretch of 4:39 in the first half, but was quieted with just two second-half points.

Credit the Saints defense and the Panthers? inability to find a rhythm in their half-court offense.

“We?re kind of young, and our guys just want to score,” Mosley said. “We just need to use the clock to our advantage.”

Mosley, an All-Examiner first-team guard as a junior, had the ball in-hand with less than 30 seconds remaining in the game, but three Neumann-Goretti defenders swarmed him to prevent a potential game-tying look.

“I told the team, they?re going to come out and double-team, and its going to be a whole different ball game,” Mosely said. “I knew it was going to happen.”

Neumann-Goretti was led by 6-foot-6 sophomore forward Daniel Stewart, who scored 21 points to earn the game MVP.

St. Frances got ten points from sophomore guard Dante Holmes, seven points from sophomore guard Wayne Sparrow and six points from freshman guard Ronald Williams.

The Panthers host Freedom Academy Monday at 7 p.m.

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