Entering the 2007-08 season after going undefeated against local teams the year before, Towson Catholic was a logical choice as The Examiner?s preseason No. 1 team.
But other than preseason rankings, the Owls weren?t given much of a chance.
Without All-Examiner player of the year Malcolm Delaney and All-Examiner first-team forward Donte Greene ? now playing at Virginia Tech and Syracuse, respectively ? repeating a 32-6 season would be tough.
“A lot of people doubted us,” senior guard Larry Bastfield said. “A lot of people didn?t think we?d be here without Malcolm and Donte. But we?re here, we won, and we conquered.”
But the defending Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association and Baltimore Catholic League champions rattled the local basketball scene Sunday afternoon, when they upset No. 1 Mount St. Joseph, 54-44, in the MIAA A Conference championship at Towson Center.
Next up for the Owls (21-11) is an opportunity to defend their BCL title. But the usual suspects ? top-seed Mount St. Joseph (28-3) and second-seeded St. Frances (24-9), among others ? stand in the way.
“It?s a great rivalry,” Owls coach Josh Pratt said of a potential re-match with Mount St. Joseph in the BCL Championship. “It?s Round 2 next week in the Baltimore Catholic League, so it doesn?t stop here. We got one, and nobody can ever take that away from us.”
The Owls and Gaels traded leads 10 times in the first half Sunday, and the game was close until the final minute, when the Owls closed it out by hitting eight straight free throws.
After one last-minute foul, Bastfield turned to teammate Devin Spencer and reminded the Owls? junior shooting guard of a talk Bastfield had with the team during the regular season.
“During the regular season, we?d lost to Mount St. Joe and St. Frances twice,” Bastfield said. “I told them we just had to win the right game. That?s in the playoffs. We were defending champions, and now we?re reigning champions.”
Pratt said he?s believed the team could win all along.
“We always believed all you had to do was play your best basketball at the end of the year,” he said. “I?m just very proud of our seniors. They?ve stepped up tremendously.”
