For Immediate Release · By Nairem Moran · nmoran@smcm.edu

The Basics

• Score: St. Mary's 56, Wesley 51
• Records: St. Mary's (6-6, 2-4 CAC), Wesley (3-10, 1-5 CAC)
• Location: St. Mary's City, Md. – Michael P. O'Brien ARC Arena
• The Short Story: For the first time since the 2012-13 season, the St. Mary's College of Maryland women's basketball team has picked up four consecutive wins as St. Mary's held off a late rally by Wesley College on Saturday afternoon. The Seahawks came away with a 56-51 Capital Athletic Conference victory as guards Kyaira Priest (Lexington Park, Md./Chopticon) and Olivia Nowlin (Glenelg, Md./Glenelg) combined for 25 points.

How It Happened

• Nowlin gave St. Mary's its biggest lead of the game (11) at the 2:53-minute mark of the third quarter when she drained a three-pointer off an assist from senior captain Kerri Kline (Hagerstown, Md./Saint James), solidifying the team's control of the game.
• Kline then sent the Seahawks into the fourth period with a 40-30 advantage with a jumper in the final six seconds of the third.
• After St. Mary's got back up to an 11-point lead, Wesley clawed its way back into the game with a 21-10 run over an eight-minute span to knot the game at 51-51 with 1:25 to go. The run was fueled by five triples, including a pair from Stacey O'Neale, the conference's top sharpshooter.
• Nowlin scored St. Mary's next three points to put them ahead by three with 21 seconds left before Kline iced the game with a pair of free throws.
• The Seahawks outscored Wesley, 14-7, in the second stanza thanks to eight points from Priest, breaking a 14-14 tie and staking a 28-21 lead at halftime.

Inside the Box Score

• Priest finished with season-highs of 13 points and four field goals (4-for-8, 50%) plus notching two steals. She led the Seahawks at the half with 10 as she went 2-for-4 from downtown.
• Nowlin put up 12 points with seven coming in the fourth quarter alone. She went 7-for-10 at the line while adding a game-best four assists, three steals, and two rebounds.
• Junior forward Kobe Chaney (Edgewater, Md./South River) led all rebounders with 13 boards while chipping in six points and a career-best five blocks.
• St. Mary's continued to take care of the ball, posting a season-low 13 turnovers.
• Shelby Johnson led the Wolverines in scoring and rebounding with a game-best 18 points and 12 rebounds as Wesley wrapped up its eight-game road trip with a 1-7 record.

Up Next for the Seahawks

• Jan. 10 at Salisbury University (6-6, 1-4 CAC) – Salisbury, Md. – CAC game – 5:30 p.m. 

Facebook: StMarysAthletics

Instagram: @smcseahawks, @smcm_wbb

Twitter: @smcseahawks, @SMCM_WBB

Hashtags: #SweepTheSheds, #GoHawks