Frederick, Md. – Junior forward Joanna Murray (Reisterstown, Md./Franklin) poured in a game- and season-best 16 points in leading the St. Mary's College of Maryland women's basketball team to a convincing 70-41 Capital Athletic Conference victory over host Hood College Saturday afternoon.

Murray shot 6-of-11 from the floor, including 4-of-5 from downtown, while adding three rebounds.  She led a trio of Seahawks in double-figure scoring as junior captain Jasmine Jones (Gaithersburg, Md./Gaithersburg) and sophomore Raven Owens (Arnold, Md./Severn School) each tallied 10 points.  Jones dished out a game-high six assists, grabbed three boards and collected a career-best two blocks as well.

Fifty-three percent of the Seahawks' 70 points today came off Hood's 29 turnovers while St. Mary's committed only a season-low 13 miscues.  The bench was active for the Seahawks as well, notching 31 points behind Jones' 10.

St. Mary's (3-6, 2-1 CAC) rattled off a 13-1 run to establish a 13-3 lead with 15:02 remaining in the first half as three different Seahawks knocked down three-pointers.  Hood (1-8, 0-4 CAC) responded with a 10-4 run to pull within four at 7:29 but that's the closest the Blazers would get all game.  Murray extended St. Mary's lead to 16 at 2:48 as she scored 11 straight and the team headed into the locker room with a 33-23 halftime advantage.

Murray notched 14 of her 16 points in the first half to lead all players while Hood's top scorer in the half was junior guard Emily Maerz (Myersville, Md./Middletown) with eight off the bench.

The Seahawks boasted a double-digit scoring margin the entire second stanza as Hood connected on only four field goals in 25 attempts and sent St. Mary's to the free throw line 16 times.  The Seahawks capitalized at the charity stripe by going 12-of-16 for the game.

Sophomore Marché Pearson (Laurel, Md./Laurel) paced the Seahawks on the glass with eight rebounds while sophomores Shana Lewis (Bowie, Md./Bowie) and Myeisha Wallace (West River, Md./Southern Senior) hauled in six boards apiece.  First-year guard Matti Vagnoni (Chevy Chase, Md./Stone Ridge School) contributed to the team's +6.0 rebounding margin with a season-high five caroms.

St. Mary's will enjoy 10 days off to focus on finals before taking on No. 8 Lebanon Valley College (8-0) on Tuesday, December 20 at 2:00 pm in Annville, Pennsylvania.