Seahawks Capture Provident Pride Tournament
Stevenson, Md. - The tournament MVP, junior guard Camontae Griffin (Baltimore, Md./Dunbar) poured in a game- and season-best 28 points to lead the St. Mary's College of Maryland men's basketball team to the Fourth Annual Provident Bank Pride of Maryland Division III Men's Basketball Scholarship Tournament title with a come-from-behind 84-81 victory over Johns Hopkins University Sunday evening.
With the 2006 Provident Pride champion, Johns Hopkins, boasting a 52-43 halftime advantage behind 14 first-half points from junior guard Pat O'Connell (Baltimore, Md./Loyola Blakefield), the Seahawks (5-0) outscored Hopkins, 41-29, in the second half en route to their first-ever Provident Pride title.
Joining Griffin on the All-Tournament Team were senior center Alex Irmer (Alexandria, Va./Wakefield) and sophomore guard Alex Franz (Catonsville, Md./Cardinal Gibbons). Irmer averaged 13.0 points per game and shot 68% from the field, while Franz set the Provident Pride record for steals in a game with a career-best nine against Washington (Md.) College as well as the record for steals for the tournament with a total of 15 in three games.
In the first half, the Blue Jays (3-2) bested St. Mary's with a 63.6 field goal percentage and were a perfect 14-of-14 from the free throw line for the 52-43 lead at intermission. JHU started strong out of the gate, scoring the game's first 10 points and giving the 2008 Sweet 16 participants all they could handle. Johns Hopkins would go on to build a 13-point advantage (24-11) with 9:32 on the clock as O'Connell finished it off with a jumper. JHU out-rebounded the Seahawks 17-11 in the first half and finished the game with a 33-22 rebounding margin.
St. Mary's came out blazing in the second half as the Seahawks opened up the half on a 17-5 run to overtake Hopkins for the lead with 14:02 left in the game. SMCM shot a blistering 64% from the field in the second half, while holding the Blue Jays' perimeter shooters to a dismal 7.7% from downtown for the game. After only picking up eight points in the paint in the first half, the Seahawks were able to hammer the ball inside and notch 20 points to JHU's six. St. Mary's also got 14 points off Hopkins turnovers.
Griffin finished the evening shooting 12-of-20, including making three three-pointers, while both Irmer and Franz finished the game with 13 points. Franz also dished out six assists and sophomore forward Mike Bowden (Columbia, Md./Long Reach) added 10 points off the bench.
O'Connell put up a team-best 26 points on 10-of-13 shooting and a game-high nine rebounds, while junior forward Andrew Farber-Miller (Charlottesville, Md./St. Anne's Belfield) came up with 19 points and senior guard Collin Kamm (Neptune, N.J./St. Rose) chipped in 11.
St. Mary's will carry its five-game winning streak into the Capital Athletic Conference opener at Stevenson University on Wednesday, December 3. Tip-off is set for 8:00.