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

Washington, D.C. –

The Basics

• Score: St. Mary's 37, Catholic 77
• Records: St. Mary's (0-1), Catholic (1-0)
• Location: Washington, D.C. · Raymond A. DuFour Center
• The Short Story: The St. Mary's College of Maryland women's basketball team dropped their season-opener at The Catholic University of America Tuesday night, falling 77-37. First-year forward Ashley Downs (Columbia, Md./Franklin) paced St. Mary's in the loss with 12 points.

How It Happened

• Catholic jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the first quarter before Downs scored a jumper to cut the Seahawks' deficit to 8-2. The Cardinals closed out the first 10 minutes on a 16-2 run to earn a 24-4 lead at the end of the first period.
• St. Mary's was limited to just two field goals in the second stanza as the Cardinals rolled to a 43-12 halftime advantage.
• Guards Christine Morin (Kensington, Md./St. John's College [D.C.]) and Janey Mathisen (Scituate, Mass./Notre Dame Academy) paced the Seahawks at halftime with three points each. Morin drilled St. Mary's lone triple of the half as St. Mary's finished the half 1-of-7 from downtown after starting 0-of-6.
• It was an improved showing for the Seahawks in the third quarter as St. Mary's was only outscored 13-12. Downs notched seven of her 12 points as she went 3-of-4 from the field, including her first of two triples.
• Downs' second three-pointer of the night cut Catholic's lead to 60-27 before the Cardinals outscored St. Mary's 17-10 over the final nine minutes for the 77-37 non-conference win.
• The Seahawks posted a narrow advantage in defensive rebounds with 32 in the game, including eight by senior center Nina Haller (Chevy Chase, Md./Bethesda-Chevy Chase).

Inside the Box Score

• Downs shot 5-of-10 from the field and 2-of-6 from behind the three-point arc while adding three rebounds.
• Haller grabbed a game-best nine rebounds while contributing eight points and two blocks.

Up Next

• St. Mary's will host Delaware Valley University, Dickinson College, and Messiah College in the Dan Greene Memorial Invitational on November 18-19. The Seahawks will take on Delaware Valley Friday at 5:00 p.m. The consolation and championship games will be played Saturday at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m.

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