Mercy delivers Magic show in ‘Classic’ victory over Maryvale

If it were a competition between which school cheered the loudest, the girls basketball game between Maryvale and Mercy would have been a lot closer.

Archbishop William E. Lori leads the crowd at “The Classic” in prayer before tip off. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

On the court, the Mercy Magic had too much firepower.

Myah Hazelton and Olivia Liszt each scored 13 points, Milan Brown added 11 points as Mercy ran past Maryvale, 77-40, in “The Classic” Jan. 27 at Towson University’s SECU Arena in front of nearly 2,000 spectators.

“It feels amazing and the crowd was great tonight,” Hazelton said. “It was good to get the win in front of this many people. We came out and executed.”

Sophie Kelly made four 3-pointers and finished with 14 points, and Amari Moore scored nine points for Maryvale. Kelly was named the game MVP for the Lions (4-11).

Archbishop William E. Lori attended and led the opening prayer before the game.

The meeting between the Catholic schools replaced Mercy’s long-standing series against IND known as “The Game.” The game annually drew the largest crowds for any girls high school sports event in Maryland.

Mercy’s Milan Brown, who scored 11 points, drives against the Maryvale defense in the Magic’s Classic victory. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

IND closed in 2020, ending its rivalry with Mercy after 54 years. Maryvale replaced IND as Mercy’s archrival, and “The Game” was reborn as in 2022 as “The Classic.”

Mercy was awarded The Dr. Rita Sloan Berndt Memorial Trophy, named for a 1962 Institute of Notre Dame graduate who was an accomplished neuroscientist and professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. Berndt, who passed away in 2014, played basketball for IND before the IND-Mercy rivalry began.

The 2023 showdown started at a frenetic pace with Mercy taking a commanding lead.

A jumper by Hazelton gave Mercy (11-7) a 26-13 lead in the final minute of the opening quarter.

However, Maryvale chipped away and cut the margin to 28-22 on a 3-pointer by Sophie Kelly with five minutes left in the half. The Magic went on another run and a layup by Olivia Liszt extended the lead to 38-26 at the break.

The Magic put the game away in the third quarter by holding the Lions to one field goal that came with a minute remaining. Hazelton scored five points, including a layup at the buzzer that boosted the margin to 56-29.

“In the first quarter, I wasn’t feeling it too well,” Hazelton said. “In the third quarter, I was ready to play. We were able to run the lead up to where it was.”

Coach George Panageotou guided Mercy after taking over for Mary Ella Franz Marion, who retired at the end of the 2021-22 school year. Marion graduated from Mercy in 1976 and was the varsity basketball coach for nearly 40 years – leading the team to 411 wins. She also helped establish the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland in 1999.

“What else do you want?” Panageotou said. “This is great. Packed house. Very loud atmosphere. Great emotion. It’s a coaches and players dream.”

Maryvale Prep’s Amari Moore battles Mercy High’s Olivia Liszt for the ball during “The Classic” basketball matchup at SECU Arena in Towson. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

McKenna Carroll had 10 points and was a force inside, earning the game’s MVP for Mercy.

“I was really trying to get the MVP, it’s my last year, my last ‘Classic,’ ” Carroll said. “I knew I had to work hard. It was a lot of excitement. I’m going to be really sad because this is my last time playing in front of this many people but it was fun while it lasted.”

Maryvale coach Alex Miller was proud of his team’s effort.

“It’s an amazing game each and every single year,” Maryvale coach Alex Miller said. “We’re proud to be a part of it. I’m proud of the effort we gave tonight. We fought really hard in the first half. In the second half, the ball didn’t go into the basket for us. They got some easy baskets early and that’s what separated the game in the second half.”

The tradition of “The Game” began in 1964 – the first year Mercy High School competed against Seton High School in what became a three-year series at the Civic Center.

In 1967, a new rivalry formed between Mercy and the IND that lasted for 54 years.

Last year, Mercy defeated Maryvale Prep, 62-40 in the inaugural “Classic.”

“Mercy is thrilled to celebrate girls leadership and athletics in partnership with Maryvale,” Mercy president Mary Beth Lennon said. “The Classic gives Mercy and Maryvale athletes the extraordinary experience of playing in a college arena in front of thousands of cheering fans. No matter the outcome, The Classic is a win for both schools and the broader Baltimore community.”

To view more photos from The Classic, click below: