St. Mary’s City, Md. — McDaniel College pulled away in the second half for an 80-60 victory over St. Mary’s College of Maryland in a nonconference women’s basketball matchup Thursday night at the Michael P. O’Brien Athletics and Recreation Center.
The Green Terror, now 4-0, shot 53.4 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from three-point range, building a 42-29 halftime lead before outscoring the Seahawks 28-16 in the third quarter to seal the outcome. Senior forward Elaina Beckett paced McDaniel with a career-high 36 points on 14-of-20 shooting, including four three-pointers, adding seven rebounds and three assists in 32 minutes. Her performance marked the second time this season she topped 30 points, following a 21-point opener against York on Nov. 11.
St. Mary’s dropped to 1-2 with the loss, showing resilience in forcing 18 turnovers that yielded 23 points off turnovers and converting 16 of 19 free throws at 84.2 percent. The Seahawks held a slight edge in steals at 7-6 but managed just 26 rebounds to McDaniel’s 32, allowing the visitors 46 points in the paint. Tramarie Mobray led St. Mary’s with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting in 20 minutes, grabbing five rebounds and dishing two assists as a sophomore guard who averaged 2.7 points in limited action last season. Keira Mason added 14 points, six assists and three rebounds in 28 minutes for the junior point guard, while reserve guard Saffiyah Gibson scored 11 points off the bench on 3-of-5 shooting plus 5-of-6 free throws in 12 minutes. Olivia Liszt contributed eight points, including two threes, with five rebounds in a team-high 35 minutes.
McDaniel controlled the interior early, using a balanced attack with Beckett’s dominance inside complemented by perimeter threats like junior guard Ava Thomas, who added 12 points and four assists. The Green Terror, competing in the Centennial Conference, extended their unbeaten streak with efficient ball movement, committing just 18 turnovers while capitalizing on second-chance opportunities for 14 points. St. Mary’s, in its second season in the United East Conference after transitioning from the Capital Athletic Conference in 2023, kept pace in the first half through Mason’s playmaking and Mobray’s mid-range efficiency but struggled with 24 turnovers overall.
The game highlighted contrasts in experience: McDaniel’s seniors like Beckett, a two-time All-Centennial second-team selection from 2023 and 2024, brought poise from last season’s 16-11 mark that included a conference tournament berth. St. Mary’s, meanwhile, leans on a younger core rebuilding under fourth-year head coach Meredith Cramer, who posted a 9-16 record in 2024-25 with a focus on defensive growth. The Seahawks’ free-throw accuracy reflected improved discipline from offseason drills emphasizing contact situations, a staple in United East play where teams average 20 attempts per game.
This marked the third all-time meeting between the programs, with McDaniel now leading 3-0 after a 74-49 win in 2006-07. St. Mary’s opened the season with a 71-59 home win over Southern Maryland on Oct. 23 in an exhibition, followed by a 77-62 loss at Gwynedd Mercy on Nov. 7. The schedule features 25 regular-season games, including 14 in-conference starting Dec. 6 at Penn State Harrisburg, with a home finale against Mary Washington on Feb. 22.
The loss underscores challenges in nonconference tune-ups, where Division III teams like the Seahawks face varied styles to prepare for tournament implications. United East rules require eight qualifiers for the postseason, with St. Mary’s aiming to build on a 2024-25 campaign that ended in the conference quarterfinals. Beckett’s explosion for McDaniel illustrates the Centennial’s depth, where top scorers average 18 points amid a league that ranked ninth nationally in three-point attempts last year.
St. Mary’s rebounds Saturday with its annual Division I exhibition against Delaware State at 5:30 p.m. in Dover, Del., an opportunity to test against Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference speed before conference play. Delaware State, 0-2 entering the week, features guard Kierra Raymond, who scored 22 in a recent loss. Exhibitions like this, non-counting toward records, allow experimentation with lineups, as St. Mary’s did by starting Liszt at shooting guard for added spacing.
