The St. Mary’s College of Maryland men’s basketball team secured a crucial road victory on Thursday night, holding off a late push from Rosemont College to win 66-62. With the win, the Seahawks improved to 14-10 overall and 10-5 in United East Conference play, pulling them into a tie with Keystone College for fourth place in the league standings with just one game remaining in the regular season. The victory also gave St. Mary’s a season sweep over Rosemont, keeping their postseason positioning intact as they close in on the conference tournament.
The game was a tight contest throughout, featuring multiple lead changes and momentum shifts. The Seahawks got off to a strong start, jumping ahead 13-5 after a tip-in from junior captain Jake Koverman. However, Rosemont responded with a 13-4 run to take its first lead of the night at 18-17 with just under eight minutes left in the first half. St. Mary’s answered quickly with a three-pointer from junior guard Jaden Walker to regain the lead, eventually stretching their advantage to 32-26 with just over two minutes to play. However, Rosemont closed the half on a 9-2 surge to take a 35-34 lead into the break.
Early in the second half, the Ravens extended their lead to three before the Seahawks responded with their most dominant stretch of the game. St. Mary’s went on a 28-12 run over a 12-minute span to take a commanding 62-49 lead. Rosemont continued to battle, cutting the deficit to just two points in the final seconds after a layup by Bruce Black made it 64-62. With Rosemont needing to foul, first-year guard James Crimaudo stepped to the free throw line and calmly sank two shots to extend the lead. The Ravens had one final chance to tie the game, but Black’s three-point attempt missed, and sophomore guard Ben Kobil secured the rebound to seal the victory.
Ball movement was a key factor in the win, as St. Mary’s assisted on 20 of its 26 made field goals. Sophomore guard James Lerner played a critical role in the team’s offensive rhythm, finishing with a career-high nine assists. The Seahawks also controlled the rebounding battle, holding a 30-27 edge on the glass.
First-year forward Yassine Idrissa had another dominant performance, leading the Seahawks with 18 points on 9-of-11 shooting while pulling down 12 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season. Crimaudo and sophomore guard Kyree Smith each contributed 13 points, while Koverman added 10.
On the opposing side, Rosemont was led by Black, who finished with a game-high 21 points, while Dejuan Taylor added 16 for the Ravens.
With just one game left in the regular season, the Seahawks will now turn their focus to a pivotal road matchup against Lancaster Bible College on February 15. A victory in that contest could secure a top-four seed in the United East Conference tournament, giving St. Mary’s an opportunity to host a first-round game.
