Mercy runs past Maryvale in 'The Classic' as star guard hits milestone

Junior guard Milan Brown has established herself as one of the best girls basketball players in the Baltimore-metro area while controlling the floor for Mercy High School.

Brown takes shots around the perimeter, drives to the hoop, or, when she is double-teamed, she’ll pass to Magic teammates for an open look at the basket.

Milan Brown, who scored twenty points for Mercy, drives for the Magic during a 48-27 victory over Maryvale Preparatory School Lions in the third annual basketball matchup. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

Brown scored 20 points, surpassing 1,000 for her career, and led the Magic to a 48-27 victory over Maryvale in the The Classic in front of about 2,000 fans at TU Arena on the campus of Towson University. It was Mercy’s third consecutive victory in the series, which replaced the annual girls basketball showcase between Mercy and Institute of Notre Dame, when IND closed its doors in 2020.

As the winning team, Mercy received the Dr. Rita Sloan Berndt Memorial Trophy, honoring a distinguished neuroscientist and former IND basketball player.

“It was super exciting to receive the recognition and this atmosphere was awesome,” said Brown, who was named the MVP of the game for Mercy. “It was a battle on the court, but it was also a battle with the student section. It’s great to bring the trophy home.”

A 3-pointer by Grace Mooney with just under two minutes left in the first quarter gave the Magic a 10-9 lead and they never trailed the rest of the way.

Mooney converted three 3-pointers and finished with 11 points.

A jumper by Kate Hax and a free throw by Emma Panageotou provided Mercy with its largest lead, 26-14, at the half. Maryvale was held scoreless for the final 3:17 in both the first and second quarters.

“For these kids to have the experience to play in a college arena like this and with this atmosphere, there’s nothing better,” Mercy coach George Panageotou said. “Maryvale played really hard. We got into the flow and it was good to see not only Milan getting into the scoring book today.”

Consecutive layups by Brown extended Mercy’s lead to 30-14 with 3:34 remaining in the third quarter. Alyssa Przywara hit a pair of jumpers and Sophie Kelly made a 3-pointer for Maryvale to cut the lead to 36-21 heading into the final period.

However, Milan scored six more points over three minutes and the Magic put the game away.

Avery Weetenkamp finished with five points, played well defensively, and was named Maryvale’s MVP. Sophie Kelly led the Lions with eight points.

“For the school this is awesome, being the third year in The Classic,” Maryvale coach Alex Miller said. “Obviously, our students and families get behind it. It’s a great outing for us. Our girls came out here and competed until the end. That is what Maryvale is all about, giving your best every time. That’s what we did here today. Not the outcome that we wanted, but we gave it a really good effort.”

Maryvale coach Alex Miller encourages his team during
“The Classic.” (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

The origins of the game began in 1964 when Mercy played Seton High School in a three-year series at the Baltimore Civic Center. In 1967, a new rivalry was formed between Mercy and the Institute of Notre Dame known as The Big Game, which was the largest girls athletic event in Maryland for 54 years.

Now known as The Classic, the event builds on a rivalry between Mercy and Maryvale, who have been competing in multiple sports for decades.

“The Classic symbolizes girls leadership and athletics and provides an extraordinary experience for our athletes,” said Mary Beth Lennon, a 1985 graduate celebrating her 10th anniversary as president of Mercy. “We are thrilled to commemorate this tradition in partnership with Maryvale. It means so much that our players are following in the footsteps of athletes who, for 60 years, were proud to represent their schools and are part of an athletic legacy in Baltimore.”

Last year, Mercy emerged with a 77-40 victory over Maryvale.

“We embrace the spirit of competition and eagerly anticipate the challenge of facing Mercy on the court,” said Malika DeLancey, who became president of Maryvale in July. “This upcoming basketball showdown is not just a game, but an opportunity for our team to demonstrate resilience, sportsmanship, and the unwavering spirit of our school community. Win or lose, we’ll leave it all on the court, proud to represent our school with passion and determination.”

To view more photos from “The Classic,” click through the slideshow below: