ST. MARY’S CITY, Md. – St. Mary’s College of Maryland saw its two-game win streak come to an end Tuesday night, falling 77-62 to Notre Dame of Maryland University in a United East Conference matchup. The Seahawks (11-10, 7-5 UEC) could not overcome turnovers and a late first-half surge by the Gators (10-10, 7-4 UEC), who evened the season series with the victory.
Notre Dame built momentum late in the opening half, closing on a 16-5 run after St. Mary’s had taken a 27-22 lead with just under six minutes to play. The surge gave the Gators a 38-32 edge at halftime. The Seahawks trimmed the deficit to four within the first five minutes of the second half, but that was as close as they would get.
The Gators methodically widened the gap, using a 22-15 run over the next 10 minutes to establish a double-digit lead at 64-53 with just over five minutes left. They remained in control down the stretch, extending the margin to as many as 18 points before securing the win.
Despite the loss, St. Mary’s put together an impressive shooting performance from three-point range, connecting on 10-of-15 attempts for a season-best 66.7 percent. Defensively, the Seahawks matched a season-high with 10 blocked shots, led by first-year forward Yassine Idrissa’s five.
Turnovers were a key factor, as St. Mary’s committed a season-worst 27, leading to 37 points for Notre Dame. The Gators also held a slight 38-37 rebounding advantage.
Sophomore guard James Lerner led the Seahawks with 14 points, hitting four of his five three-point attempts while adding four assists and a season-high two steals. First-year guard James Crimaudo, making his first career start, finished with 10 points and six rebounds. Bangoura contributed career highs of nine points and four rebounds off the bench, while Idrissa added eight points to go with his game-high eight boards and five blocks.
Notre Dame’s Chandler Johnson led all scorers with 21 points, helping the Gators secure their second straight win.
St. Mary’s will look to bounce back on February 1 when they host Wilson College (9-11, 7-4 UEC) at MPOARC Arena. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. for the Dan Greene/Wayne Cook Memorial Game.
