PHOENIXVILLE, Pa. — The St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s basketball team unleashed a commanding defensive showcase and balanced scoring attack to rout the University of Valley Forge 100-15 on Saturday afternoon in United East Conference play at the University of Valley Forge Gymnasium.
The Seahawks improved to 18-5 overall and a perfect 11-0 in conference action, solidifying their grip on first place in the United East standings. Valley Forge dropped to 1-18 overall and 0-12 in league play.
St. Mary’s set the tone from the opening tip, surging to a 25-0 lead after holding the Patriots scoreless in the first quarter. The Seahawks carried a 48-5 advantage into halftime, then poured in 30 points in the third quarter to turn the contest into a rout. The final margin of 85 points underscored a dominant effort on both ends of the floor.
Defense proved the difference-maker. The Seahawks forced 51 turnovers from Valley Forge, converting those miscues into 55 points. Olivia Liszt paced the defensive charge with 18 points, eight steals, and six rebounds, while the team as a whole tallied 31 steals.
Offensively, the Seahawks displayed depth and efficiency. Samantha Blaylock came off the bench to score a game-high 20 points, draining six three-pointers in just 17 minutes. Saffiyah Gibson added 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-3 from the free-throw line in 14 minutes. Rayna Miller and Keira Mason each contributed 10 points, with Mason grabbing six rebounds.
St. Mary’s shot 49.4 percent (41-of-83) from the field, dominated the paint with 62 points inside, and outrebounded Valley Forge 39-27. The bench provided a major spark, outscoring the Patriots’ reserves 61-0.
Valley Forge struggled throughout, shooting just 19.2 percent from the field and 8.3 percent from three-point range. Gina Melendez led the Patriots with seven points, while Lucy Mauerman added six points and six rebounds.
The victory marked another statement performance for the Seahawks in what has been a dominant United East campaign. St. Mary’s has now won 11 straight conference games, many by large margins, as they pursue the league title and a strong postseason seeding.
The Seahawks return to action Tuesday, February 10, hosting Penn State Berks at 7:00 p.m. in the Michael P. O’Brien Athletics & Recreation Center Arena in St. Mary’s City. That matchup continues the push toward the United East Conference Tournament.
