ST. MARY’S CITY, Md. – The St. Mary’s College of Maryland men’s basketball team saw their five-game winning streak come to an end on Saturday, December 14, in the opening game of the Seahawks Holiday Classic. Despite a hard-fought rally, the Seahawks fell 68-64 to Misericordia University, dropping their record to 5-2 on the season.
Game Summary
The matchup was tightly contested through the first 10 minutes, with both teams tied at 14 before Misericordia used an 18-8 surge to take control. The Cougars established a double-digit lead, 32-22, with under four minutes remaining in the first half.
St. Mary’s College managed to close the gap before halftime, cutting the deficit to 34-28 with contributions from first-year guard Tjay Beckles (Baltimore, Md./Overlea) and senior captain Jake Koverman (Severna Park, Md./Southern).
The Seahawks opened the second half strong, embarking on a 10-5 run. Junior forward JD Salo (Dunkirk, Md./Northern) gave St. Mary’s their first lead since the opening minutes, making it 39-38 with 16:05 to play.
The remainder of the game was a back-and-forth battle. Misericordia reclaimed a five-point advantage, 64-59, on a key layup by Kevin Lazdowsky with just over two minutes left. Sophomore guard Kyree Smith (Baltimore, Md./City) brought the Seahawks within two points with 36 seconds remaining, but the Cougars sealed the win when Jack Gallagher converted a clutch play with 13 seconds to go.
Key Stats and Takeaways
- St. Mary’s College struggled from long range, hitting a season-low 17.4% of their three-point attempts and committing 17 turnovers.
- Despite their perimeter struggles, the Seahawks shot 45.1% overall from the field, including an impressive 52% in the second half.
- St. Mary’s excelled at the free-throw line, converting 14 of 18 attempts.
Seahawk Standouts
- Kyree Smith led all scorers with 20 points and added seven rebounds.
- Yassine Idrissa (Rockville, Md./Wootton) contributed 15 points and a team-high nine rebounds.
- Jake Koverman added 12 points, while JD Salo tallied 10 points and seven rebounds off the bench.
Misericordia Leaders
- Kevin Lazdowsky paced the Cougars with 16 points.
- Matt Prociak posted a double-double with 14 points and a game-best 10 rebounds.
What’s Next?
The Seahawks will look to rebound on Sunday, December 15, as they face SUNY Maritime (5-3) in the second game of the Seahawks Holiday Classic. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the MPOARC Arena in St. Mary’s City, Md.
