The St. Mary’s College of Maryland men’s basketball team earned its second consecutive victory Saturday afternoon, defeating the University of Valley Forge 85-82 in United East Conference play. With the win, the Seahawks improved to 11-9 overall and 7-4 in conference play while completing a season sweep of the Patriots, who dropped to 7-14 and 2-8 in the United East.
The first half was tightly contested, featuring four ties and two lead changes. The Seahawks gained momentum late in the half, taking a 35-28 lead with 4:38 remaining after sophomore guard Kyree Smith converted two free throws. However, Valley Forge answered with an 11-4 run, tying the game at 39 with 1:30 left in the half. First-year guard Tjay Beckles provided a spark for St. Mary’s by scoring the final three points of the half, giving the Seahawks a slim 42-39 advantage heading into the break.
St. Mary’s never relinquished the lead in the second half but faced persistent pressure from the Patriots. After Valley Forge cut the deficit to 67-66, the Seahawks responded with an 11-2 run fueled by six points from Smith, building a 78-68 lead with 3:29 remaining. The Patriots mounted one final push, outscoring St. Mary’s 14-5 to narrow the gap to 83-82 with just three seconds remaining. First-year guard James Crimaudo sealed the victory by sinking two crucial free throws with one second left on the clock.
The Seahawks dominated the boards, holding a 35-24 rebounding advantage. Smith and first-year forward Yassine Idrissa led the effort with nine rebounds each. St. Mary’s also excelled offensively, shooting 53.1% from the field and converting 29 of their 41 free-throw attempts.
Smith and Idrissa each tallied 18 points to lead the Seahawks. Smith also dished out a team-high six assists, while Idrissa blocked a game-best three shots. Beckles added 14 points and a career-high five rebounds. Junior captain Jake Koverman contributed 13 points and a career-best two steals, while Crimaudo came off the bench to score 11 points, including the game-winning free throws. Sophomore guard James Lerner rounded out the Seahawks’ double-digit scorers with 10 points.
Valley Forge’s Isaiah Reece led all players with 20 points, while Christian Renninger had a standout performance with 12 points, nine assists, eight rebounds, and five steals. Despite their efforts, the Patriots suffered their third straight loss.
St. Mary’s will look to continue their winning streak as they return home for a pair of games. They will face Notre Dame (Md.) on January 28 at 7 p.m. in MPOARC Arena and host Wilson College on February 1 at 3 p.m. for the Dan Greene/Wayne Cook Memorial Game.
