ST. MARY’S CITY, Md. — The St. Mary’s College of Maryland men’s basketball team secured its place in the 2026 United East Conference Championship Tournament with a gritty 68-64 home victory over Penn State Berks on February 10 at the Michael P. O’Brien Athletics & Recreation Center Arena.
The Seahawks improved to 10-12 overall and 6-6 in United East Conference play, claiming their second consecutive win to lock in a postseason berth. The tournament begins February 18 with first-round matchups, and St. Mary’s sits sixth in the standings with one regular-season game remaining. Penn State Berks dropped to 6-17 overall and 5-7 in conference action.
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The contest featured intense back-and-forth action. Penn State Berks jumped ahead early, leading 15-10 at the 11:52 mark of the first half on a jump shot by Jaedon Mast. St. Mary’s answered with a decisive 16-4 run, taking a 26-19 advantage with under six minutes left before halftime. Senior captain Jake Koverman and first-year guard Korey Blair combined for 11 points in the surge, including three made three-pointers.
The teams entered the locker room tied at 28-28 after St. Mary’s missed its final six field-goal attempts and Berks closed the half on a 9-2 run.
The second half delivered six lead changes and two ties. Berks rebuilt a five-point edge at 37-32 on a three-pointer by Marquis Ferreira with 17:12 remaining. Trailing 44-41 with 10:48 to play, the Seahawks erupted for a 10-0 run to establish a seven-point cushion by the 8:13 mark.
Penn State Berks narrowed the gap to 62-61 on a layup by Quentin Wright with 2:05 left, but St. Mary’s responded with a 6-3 closing sequence to seal the win.
St. Mary’s capitalized on 24 points off 16 Berks turnovers and added 23 fast-break points. The Seahawks shot 46.9 percent from the field overall and converted 12-of-17 free throws in the second half.
Koverman led SMCM with 16 points, going a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line while grabbing three rebounds. First-year forward Evan Quintero added 12 points off the bench, six rebounds, and three blocks. Blair contributed 11 points and four rebounds, while first-year guard Khairi Hyde dished seven assists with six points, five rebounds, and two steals.
For Berks, Zach Prator paced all scorers with 18 points, and four Nittany Lions reached double figures.
The victory underscores St. Mary’s resilience in a competitive United East slate, where defensive pressure and timely runs proved decisive. The Seahawks forced turnovers effectively and maintained composure during late-game pressure, positioning themselves strongly for postseason play.
St. Mary’s next faces Penn State Brandywine on February 14 in Media, Pennsylvania, at 1 p.m., aiming to build momentum heading into the tournament.
The United East Championship features a single-elimination format for the top 10 teams based on regular-season performance, with games scheduled through late February.
This result adds to Southern Maryland’s collegiate sports landscape, where St. Mary’s College continues to compete at the Division III level with local talent contributing key performances.