St. Mary’s College of Maryland men’s basketball team wrapped up its regular season with a hard-fought 93-89 loss to Lancaster Bible College on Saturday, February 16. Despite a strong offensive showing with six players scoring in double digits, the Seahawks fell short in the final minutes as Lancaster Bible completed a season sweep. The loss drops St. Mary’s to 14-11 overall and 10-6 in United East Conference play.
With the regular season concluded, the Seahawks now shift their focus to the 2025 United East Conference Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament. St. Mary’s College enters as the fifth seed and will host No. 12 seed Penn College (8-17, 6-10 UEC) in the first round on Wednesday, February 19. Game time is yet to be determined.
St. Mary’s faced an uphill battle in the first half after falling behind by 12 points with just over eight minutes remaining. However, sophomore guard James Lerner ignited a rally, sinking a three-pointer at 7:41 to cut into the deficit. The Seahawks surged ahead, taking a 39-36 lead in a 20-5 run, their first advantage since the opening minutes. Lancaster Bible managed to close the half strong, heading into the break with a 42-41 edge.
The second half saw St. Mary’s reclaim the lead briefly before Lancaster Bible responded with a decisive 36-24 run. The Chargers built an 11-point cushion with just over five minutes left. Despite the Seahawks clawing back within four points in the final 12 seconds, Lancaster Bible held on for the win.
Both teams shot an identical 50 percent from the field, with St. Mary’s posting its second-highest scoring output of the season at 89 points. The Seahawks were effective from the free-throw line, converting 24-of-29 attempts (82.8 percent), and received a significant contribution from their bench, which accounted for 41 points.
This marks the second tightly contested matchup between the two teams this season. Their previous meeting on January 18 ended in a 92-88 overtime victory for Lancaster Bible.
Leading the way for St. Mary’s was junior captain Jake Koverman with 17 points and six rebounds. First-year guard Tjay Beckles provided a spark off the bench, tallying 16 points, three assists, and three rebounds. Fellow reserve James Crimaudo added 15 points and seven rebounds, while first-year forward Yassine Idrissa registered 13 points, a game-high eight rebounds, and four blocks. Guards Kyree Smith and Jaden Walker contributed 10 points each, with Walker setting a season-best mark.
Lancaster Bible was led by Camden Hurst, who poured in a game-high 33 points, while Connor Storr added 13. The win secured the Chargers’ second straight victory as they head into postseason play.
St. Mary’s will now turn its attention to the United East Tournament, where they hope to advance beyond the first round. The Seahawks will host Penn College on February 19 in St. Mary’s City, looking to keep their championship hopes alive.
