Seahawks Dance into Sweet 16
Greensboro, N.C. - Junior forward Calvin Wise (Bel Air, Md./Calvert Hall) scored a game-high 21 points in St. Mary's College of Maryland's 83-74 win over Widener University in NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Second Round action at Guilford College Saturday night.
The Seahawks (19-11), who are in their first-ever NCAA Tournament, advance to next weekend's third round at a site to be determined and St. Mary's will face either No. 14 Millsaps College, a 57-56 winner over No. 12 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. Tonight's victory extends their winning streak to a season-high eight games. Widener ends its season with a 23-6 record.
For the second straight night, St. Mary's shot over 61 percent from the floor in the second half to pull out a close game. The Seahawks made 13-of-21 second-half field goals (61.9 percent) and shot 57.4 percent for the game. Wise made nine-of-13 baskets, many in the lane, where St. Mary's enjoyed a 50-32 scoring edge. Junior center Alex Irmer (Alexandria, Va./Wakefield) hit for 20 points inside on nine-of-14 shooting, and added a game-high nine rebounds. He and Wise both scored 10 points in the second half.
The contest featured four ties and six lead changes, mostly in the first half. Matt Sosna's three-pointer at the halftime buzzer brought the Pride to within 47-43 at the break after St. Mary's held an early 10-point lead.
An Irmer dunk off a Tyson Lesesne (Edgewood, Md./Edgewood) ally-oop pass with 16:52 remaining in the game gave the Seahawks a 53-45 edge, but Widener's Nyere Miller answered with a three-pointer followed by a lay-up that brought the Pride back to within three, 53-50.
Bobby Edmunds' lay-in off a Charles Jones feed marked the game's fourth and final tie, 59-59, with 9:58 remaining. St. Mary's answered with a decisive 8-0 run in which Lesesne and Irmer both scored four points and Widener missed four shots.
A Jones three-pointer with 3:21 remaining made it a 71-65 contest, but Wise answered at the other end with a layup, triggering another 8-0 Seahawk spurt. Irmer's third and final dunk of the game from Lesesne capped the run with 1:14 left and opened a 79-66 St. Mary's margin.
Lesesne, who scored 27 points in Friday's 89-77 win over regional host Guilford College, totaled 14 points, six rebounds and three assists Saturday. Rookie guard Alex Franz (Catonsville, Md./Cardinal Gibbons) enjoyed a solid night with 11 points, six boards and a team-high four steals. Senior guard Mike Smelkinson (Elkridge, Md./Long Reach) played 38 minutes for the second straight night and matched his career-high with 10 assists. He also scored four points and turned the ball over just two times.
Miller made a game-high six three pointers on the way to a team-high 20 points. He also had a game-best five steals. Edmunds and Jones both finished with 12 points apiece for Widener. Sosna contributed seven points, a team-high eight boards and six assists. The Pride managed just 33.3 percent field-goal shooting in the second half after shooting 53.1 percent in the opening frame.
