PITTSBURGH — A Charles County freshman gave St. Mary’s College of Maryland a reason to feel good about a winless opening weekend. Malik Gordon, a first-year guard from Bryans Road and Lackey High School, scored 17 points with six steals in his college debut, but the Seahawks dropped both games at the Chatham Classic.
St. Mary’s lost 66-61 to Methodist University on Friday, Nov. 6, then fell 89-63 to host Chatham University on Saturday, according to the college’s recap. The Seahawks are 0-2.
Methodist 66, St. Mary’s 61
The opener was there to be won. St. Mary’s trailed 35-32 at halftime and stayed within two possessions the rest of the way, but could not shoot its way over the top. The Seahawks made 35.5% of their field goals to Methodist’s 47.2% and hit just 16% from 3-point range.
Defense and the foul line kept them close. St. Mary’s forced 20 turnovers, came up with 12 steals, won the rebounding battle 36-34 and shot 81.3% on free throws.
Gordon and sophomore forward Evan Quintero shared the team lead with 17 points apiece, each playing 31 minutes. Gordon added five rebounds and three assists to his six steals. Quintero, a 6-foot-9 sophomore from Fallston, hit two 3-pointers and finished with nine rebounds and two blocks.
Sophomore guard Korey Blair of Baltimore logged a team-high 36 minutes with seven points, five rebounds and three steals. First-year guard Khaled Al-Mateen Evans scored six in 12 minutes off the bench.
Chatham 89, St. Mary’s 63
Saturday got away early. The host Cougars led 44-31 at the half and stretched the margin after the break.
Blair led St. Mary’s with 11 points. Chase Peterson, a first-year guard from Washington, D.C., had 10 points, four rebounds and three assists, and sophomore Khairi Hyde of Gaithersburg scored nine. Quintero added eight points, eight rebounds and three blocks, giving him 17 boards and five blocks for the weekend. First-year guard Tyriq Liggins contributed seven rebounds and three assists.
The box scores point to a young rotation for head coach Chris Harney. Every Seahawk named in the college’s recap is a sophomore or first-year player.
Up next
St. Mary’s visits Division I Longwood in Farmville, Va., on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m., according to the team schedule. The Seahawks then play Johnson & Wales in Charlotte, N.C., on Friday, Nov. 13, at 6 p.m.
The home opener is Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m. against Penn State York at the Michael P. O’Brien Athletics and Recreation Center Arena in St. Mary’s City.
