McDonogh boys basketball executed its game plan to perfection Friday night at Loyola Blakefield, relentlessly getting to the basket and successfully finishing baskets.
And when called upon when the host Dons made their fourth-quarter run, the Eagles also showed they could do damage from the perimeter.
The combination — senior forward Jeff Exinor leading the strong inside play and freshman guard Sonny Moore providing the fourth-quarter lift from the outside — proved effective as No. 12 McDonogh left with a sturdy 69-56 win over No. 8 Loyola in Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference play.
Moore hit two vital 3-pointers down the stretch to finish with a team-high 17 points and Exinor had 13 as the Eagles improved to 10-5 overall and 3-3 in the MIAA A Red Division. Loyola, which got a game-high 24 points from senior star Mason Ellison, fell to 11-8 and 2-4 in league play.
After the assertive effort to get to the basket helped build a lead as big as 15 points in the third quarter, the Eagles needed a big basket when the Dons cut their lead down to 53-49 with 3:45 to play.
Moore, stationed at the top of the key with the shot clock winding down, provided the big 3 that restored order.
“I just saw the defender was kind of playing back on me and saw I had the shot. It felt good out of my hands and went in. It’s a big feeling,” he said.
The big shot started a 10-0 run — including consecutive inside baskets from BJ Hopkins (13 points) — that put the game away.
On Wednesday, the Eagles had a similar lead against No. 1 St. Frances, only to see the Panthers rally for a 63-57 win.
What made McDonogh coach Gerry Abrams particularly proud of the complete team performance was how his players valued every possession to secure the win.
Six Eagles scored six or more points, with Carlos Ferguson adding nine.
“We pride ourselves on effort,” Exinor said. “We’re not the biggest team at times and may not be the most skilled, but we want it more than everybody else and we showed it today.
“We all trust each other. We know [our opponents] have their own strengths and weaknesses, so we prepare hard for each game. We look at the scouting report and we really honed in on staying disciplined, staying focused throughout the game. Things are going to go wrong, they’re going to make some shots — that’s basketball. But we stayed level-headed and that’s how we got the win.”
In their bid to come back in the second half, the Dons had some splash plays that provided momentum.
They trailed 48-39 going into fourth quarter when Ellison got going. After dishing off to Ayo Olofintila for an easy lay-up to open the scoring, the Delaware commit drove the lane and put down a thunderous dunk that made it 48-43 with 6:17 to play.
Minutes later, he converted a three-point play. And when Olofintila made a free throw, the lead was down to 53-49 with 4:03 to play. Moore’s big 3 provided an answer, and the Eagles rolled from there.
The Dons’ closing minutes were a concern for coach Josh Czerski.
“We’re known to make runs, make big shots and we did that. And then we just have to find the physical and mental fortitude to be able to get stops and really to defend and have that heart. We didn’t show that in the last four minutes,” he said.
Both teams return to league play with home games Wednesday night. McDonogh hosts Mount Saint Joseph at 6, and Loyola takes on John Carroll at 7.
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McDonogh — 22-15-11-17 — 69
Loyola Blakefield — 11-14-14-21 — 56
M — Exinor 13, Moore 17, Hopkins 13, Costley 3, Williams 6, Redfern 8, Ferguson 9.
LB — Ellison 24, LeGree 7, Olofintila 5, Mi. Williams 1, Brooks 12, Palmer 7