St. Mary’s College of Maryland men’s basketball team saw their two-game win streak snapped Saturday afternoon with a hard-fought overtime loss against Lancaster Bible College. The Seahawks, now 9-8 overall and 5-3 in the United East Conference, fell 92-88 in a tightly contested game that saw Lancaster Bible outscore St. Mary’s 13-9 in the extra period. With the victory, the Chargers improved to 11-6 overall and 6-2 in the conference standings.
The Seahawks held an 82-81 lead early in overtime, but Lancaster Bible surged ahead with an 11-6 run to close out the game. Nine of those points came from standout player Grant Sareyka, whose performance propelled the Chargers to their second consecutive win. Earlier, the Chargers had taken control in the first half, jumping to a 6-0 lead within the opening two minutes and eventually extending their advantage to 12-2 by the 12:59 mark. St. Mary’s fought back, tying the game twice in the final minute of the half, but the Chargers entered halftime with a 39-34 edge after a strong finish by Luke Rumbaugh, who scored the last five points of the period.
The second half marked a resurgence for St. Mary’s. Sophomore guard Kyree Smith gave the Seahawks their first lead of the game just over 90 seconds into the half with two made free throws, capping a 6-0 run that set the tone for a competitive second period. Over the next three minutes, both teams traded leads before the Seahawks used a 24-14 run to establish a 71-63 advantage with just over five minutes remaining in regulation. Smith led the charge with nine points during the run, while first-year forward Yassine Idrissa added seven to help St. Mary’s build their largest lead of the contest.
As the clock wound down, St. Mary’s maintained a slim 79-76 lead with 27 seconds left after sophomore guard James Lerner converted one of two free throws. Lancaster Bible capitalized on the missed second attempt as Camden Hurst grabbed the rebound, setting up a game-tying three-pointer from Connor Storr with 13 seconds remaining. Junior captain Jake Koverman attempted a go-ahead three-pointer for St. Mary’s as time expired, but the shot was blocked by Sareyka, sending the game into overtime.
The game saw both teams excel at the free-throw line, with St. Mary’s converting 26 of their 35 attempts and Lancaster Bible matching that efficiency with 27 made free throws on 35 attempts. St. Mary’s shot 50 percent from the field overall, including 54.5 percent in the first half, but struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on just four of 16 three-point attempts. Lancaster Bible’s defense was a key factor in their victory, forcing 21 turnovers while recording 12 steals.
Smith led all scorers with 27 points on 12-of-18 shooting and added two blocks and two rebounds to his performance. Idrissa posted his sixth double-double of the season, contributing 18 points and a career-high 14 rebounds while also recording four blocks, three assists, and two steals. Koverman registered his second consecutive double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, along with a career-best five assists. First-year guard James Crimaudo made a significant impact off the bench, recording career highs of 13 points and eight rebounds. Lerner added 12 points and two assists.
For Lancaster Bible, Sareyka led the way with 24 points and seven rebounds, anchoring the Chargers’ offense throughout the game. The victory marks the second straight win for Lancaster Bible, solidifying their position near the top of the United East Conference standings.
St. Mary’s will aim to bounce back in their upcoming game on January 20 when they travel to Bryn Athyn for a pivotal conference matchup. The Seahawks will then return home to face Gallaudet on January 22 before heading to Valley Forge on January 25. With key games ahead, the Seahawks will look to regain their momentum and strengthen their position in the United East Conference race.
