Buena Vista, Va. – The St. Mary's College of Maryland women's basketball team had four starters score in double figures but the effort came up short as the Seahawks (3-9, 1-4 CAC) dropped a 92-79 Capital Athletic Conference decision Wednesday night to Southern Virginia University (2-9, 1-4 CAC).

Sophomore guard Kerri Kline (Hagerstown, Md./Saint James) and first-year forward Kobe Chaney (Annapolis, Md./South River) paced St. Mary's on the night with 17 points each while junior center Nina Haller (Chevy Chase, Md./Bethesda-Chevy Chase) picked up her fifth double-double of the season on 14 points and game-best 11 rebounds.

The Seahawks followed up on Monday night's season-best shooting performance of 43.4-percent from the floor with their second-best effort of the campaign tonight at 39.7-percent. St. Mary's finished with its season-high point total of 79 points by connecting on a season-best 31 field goals. Sophomore guard Olivia Nowlin (Glenelg, Md./Glenelg) was the fourth starter in double digits with 13.

St. Mary's owned the first two quarters of play and established a 21-point lead. The Seahawks posted a 37-16 advantage with 7:05 left in the half as Haller capped a 12-0 run which started at the 1:39-minute mark of the first period. Southern Virginia turned the tables on the Seahawks, closing out the first half on a 15-1 to pull within 43-42 at intermission.

Chaney and Southern Virginia's senior forward Larissa Macfarlane (Hillrose, Colo./Merino) led all scorers at halftime with a dozen each. The Seahawks shot 43.6% from the floor while Haller grabbed a first-half best 10 rebounds.

It was all Southern Virginia in the second half as the Knights opened up the third stanza with a modest 4-2 run to claim the lead for good at 8:01. The hosts stretched their lead to 64-56 at the end of three on a jumper by first-year guard Merideth Ouellette (Suffield, Conn./Suffield) with 25 ticks on the clock. St. Mary's went cold and saw its shooting take a dip to 17.4-percent in the third.

The Seahawks found their offense in the fourth and closed the gap to 74-71 on a basket by first-year guard Katie Robey (Kensington, Md./Georgetown Visitation Prep) at 5:09. St. Mary's would get no closer as the Knights wrapped up their first CAC win of the season with an 18-4 run. Southern Virginia turned 10 second-half Seahawk miscues into 18 points.

The Knights also had four starters in double figures with Macfarlane leading the way with a double-double on game-high 22 points and 10 rebounds. Ouellette finished with 18 while junior forward Morgan Hartvigsen (Kaysville, Utah/Davis) added a double-double as well on 11 points and 10 boards.

St. Mary's will continue conference action at home this Saturday, January 9th against Frostburg State University (2-9, 0-5 CAC) at 2:00 p.m. on Military Appreciation Day.

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