Link to Podcast of D3hoops.com Interview with Coach Chris Harney and junior guard Alex Franz

Minneapolis, Minn. - The St. Mary's College of Maryland men's basketball team inched closer to a top 15 ranking as the Seahawks earned No. 16 in the Week 7 edition of the D3hoops.com Top 25 as announced Tuesday while junior guard Alex Franz (Catonsville, Md./Cardinal Gibbons) remains ranked in the top 3 in the nation for steals per game for the third straight week.

Tonight, the No. 16 Seahawks (13-2, 6-1 CAC) will battle Hood College (11-5, 6-1 CAC) for sole possession of first-place in the Capital Athletic Conference standings.  This will be the second meeting between the two squads this season as St. Mary's notched an 89-77 victory to capture its second straight Pride of Maryland title as senior guard Camontae Griffin (Baltimore, Md./Dunbar) dropped a career-high and school record 51 points.

St. Mary's has also claimed seven straight victories with its last loss coming on December 12 at the hands of York (Pa.) College - a 64-61 setback.

As a team, St. Mary's ranks in the top 25 in Division III in steals per game and three-point field goal defense, owning a 10.9 steals average for 21st in the nation and holding opponents to a 27.9- three-point field goal percentage for 24th in the country.

Franz slipped back to third in Division III in steals per game with a conference-leading 3.9 steals average while ranking 21st in assists per game with a league-best 5.7 assists average.  BJ McGill of St. Vincent College averages 4.2 steals per game to lead the nation.

Griffin dropped three spots to rank 17th in the country with a league-best 22.1 points per game.  Griffin is second in the conference with an 86.8 free throw percentage which ranks 45th in the nation.