ST. MARY’S CITY, Md. – Four Seahawks scored in double digits as the St. Mary’s College of Maryland men’s basketball team hosted The Catholic University of America in their home-opener Sunday afternoon. St. Mary’s College (0-1) suffered a heartbreaking 79-76 loss at the hands of Catholic (4-0) on Ed Cole Court in the Michael P. O’Brien Athletics & Recreation Center Arena.
Catholic captured the Battle of Maryland/DC with a 2-0 weekend following Saturday’s 68-60 victory over Gallaudet University and today’s win over the Seahawks.
CUA’s Jesse Hafemeister was named the tournament MVP while fellow teammate, Tommy Kelly, St. Mary’s College’s Jordan Goodwin (Baltimore, Md./Milford Mill) and Bryant Palmer (Frederick, Md./Oakdale), and Gallaudet’s Rory Lewis were all named to the All-Tournament Team.
How It Happened
- The Seahawks opened the game with a 6-0 lead behind a three-point play by first-year forward Naz Fisher (Washington, D.C./Washington Latin) and a three-pointer by Goodwin.
- Catholic worked its way into the game with a 16-10 run as Kelly and Frank Lumaj each notched six points for the Cardinals’ largest lead of the half.
- St. Mary’s College cut the deficit to two twice before using a 19-13 run to get back on top by four, 38-34 with 41 seconds left in the half before heading into the breakup one.
- The Cardinals outscored the hosts, 24-15, in the first 11 minutes of the second half to boast their biggest margin of the game, 61-53, at 9:01, including closing out the run with six unanswered points to break a 53-53 draw.
- The Seahawks responded with a 10-0 run, using three-pointers by Palmer and first-year forward Isaiah Eggleston (Rocky Mount, Va./Carlisle) to retake a two-point lead at 7:06.
- In the final seven minutes of the game, the score would be tied three times – twice by Catholic – before the Cardinals went on a 7-0 spurt to lead by seven with under a minute remaining.
- SMCM continued to fight and pulled within one (77-76) with 15 ticks left on a two-point bucket by Palmer following a Catholic turnover before Kelly sealed the win with two free throws.
Inside the Box Score
- The Seahawks stayed in the game with 12-of-28 shooting from downtown as Goodwin and Palmer each poured in three three-pointers.
- Goodwin paced St. Mary’s College with 20 points on 7-of-19 shooting while hauling in a team-best seven rebounds and adding three assists.
- Palmer finished with 14 points while first-year guard Olumide Lewis (Greenbelt, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt) contributed 11 points plus a game-best five assists and Eggleston added 10 points.
- Catholic posted a 44-35 rebounding margin with Hafemeister grabbing nine and Justin Green corralling eight.
- The Cardinals also went 26-of-34 at the free throw line to keep ahead of St. Mary’s College, especially down the stretch.
- Hafemeister poured in a game-high 25 points on his way to MVP honors while Kelly wasn’t far behind with 22.
Up Next for the Seahawks
- Nov. 20 at Johns Hopkins (1-1) – Owings Mills, Md. / Stevenson University – 5:00 p.m.