The St. Mary’s College of Maryland Women’s Basketball Team (11-6) matched up against the Penn State Berks Nittany Lions (1-15) for the second time this season. The Seahawks were able to take down the Nittany Lions 60-35 and earn the regular season sweep, as well as their fourth straight victory.
How It Happened
- St. Mary’s was able to take control of the game early on thanks to strong defensive play. The Seahawks never let the Nittany Lions feel comfortable and allowed them to just five first quarter points. Rachel Manning paced the Seahawks with four points in the opening period and Sam Blaylock notched a three pointer to help St. Mary’s take a seven point lead into the second quarter.
- Despite another made three pointer early on in the second quarter from Sam Blaylock, The Nittany Lions hung in there and even trimmed the Seahawk lead to just four about midway through the quarter. St. Mary’s was getting into foul trouble and Penn State Berks was making them pay from the line. Just when you thought the Nittany Lions could potentially take the lead, The Seahawks rattled off 14 straight points and took a 31-13 lead into the locker room. Sam Blaylock and Karon Williams carried the Seahawks during the run, making things happen from behind the arc and in the mid range. Stephanie Howell also got in on the scoring action and continued to be a huge presence on defense,
- Momentum stuck with the Seahawk squad coming out of the locker room, as they once again went on run. St. Mary’s outscored Berks 14-3 over the last six minutes of the third quarter. That run featured five different Seahawk players, including Amira Whitaker, who made an impressive layup through traffic. St. Mary’s also kept up the intensity on defense, holding Berks to just nine third quarter points.
- The fourth quarter featured a variety of different Seahawk contributors, but the intensity of play remained the same for the St. Mary’s squad. The defensive pressure continued to force the Nittany Lions into mistakes and the Seahawks were able to turn defense into offense. One of those moments was when Josie Shermeyer ran the court and finished to seal the deal for the Seahawks. St. Mary’s took the game, 60-35.
Inside the Box Score
- Sam Blaylock finished with a game high 17 points
- Stephanie Howell finished two rebounds shy of a double double with 11 points and eight rebounds
- Karon Williams filled the stat sheet with 11 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
.Up Next
Jan. 31 | 5:00 PM | vs. Penn State Harrisburg | Middletown, PA