ST. MARY'S CITY, Md. – The battle for the 2025 United East Conference Women's Basketball Tournament championship title Saturday afternoon (Mar. 1) was an instant classic.
 
Overtime was needed to crown this year's champion and unfortunately, the St. Mary's College of Maryland women's basketball team came up on the short end of a one-point loss. Top-seeded St. Mary's College (20-8) succumbed to a 71-70 setback to third-seeded Gallaudet University (18-10) in front of an electrifying crowd of 355.
 
The Seahawks wrap-up the 2024-25 campaign with 20 wins for the first time since the 1999-2000 season when SMCM posted a 23-4 record and finished as the Capital Athletic Conference Tournament runners-up.
 
How It Happened

• In the fourth quarter, Gallaudet erased a four-point deficit and claimed a 63-60 advantage with 10 seconds remaining in regulation behind a 13-6 run over a four-minute span. Sophomore guard Ji-Young Hartman (Vienna, Va./Trinity School at Meadow View) stepped up for SMCM and drained a huge triple with five ticks on the clock to send the game into overtime.
• The two sides traded two-point buckets in the extra frame, but St. Mary's College never owned a lead until three seconds left in OT when sophomore forward Rayna Miller (Westminster, Md./Francis Scott Key) made the second of two free throws to give the Seahawks a 70-69 edge.
• The Bison called a timeout to advance the ball and design a play. Hannah Puent's jumper went over the hoop where Rajena Guettler grabbed the offensive rebound and put it back up as time expired for the game-winning layup.
• SMCM and Gallaudet were knotted at 13-all at end of the first quarter before the Bison built an 11-point, their biggest of the game, with 1:35 remaining in the first half. However, St. Mary's College closed out the half with a 6-0 run to cut GU's lead to 28-23 at halftime.
• In the third period, the Seahawks turned around a seven-point deficit into a 41-35 advantage at the 3:31 mark before carrying a 45-43 lead into the fourth frame.

 
Inside the Box Score

• The game featured 14 tied scores and 12 lead changes.
• SMCM edged Gallaudet, 48-46, in rebounding as first-year forward Keira Mason (Brandywine, Md./Gwynn Park) grabbed a game-best 11 boards.
• St. Mary's College finished the game shooting 35.7-percent from the field, including making five of 20 three-point attempts. The Seahawks were inefficient at the free throw line, connecting on just 15 of 28 attempts.
• The Bison posted a .403-field goal percentage for the game, including shooting 52.6-percent over the fourth and overtime periods. GU made a dismal 11.3-percent of its three-pointers.

 
St. Mary's College Game Notes

• Sophomore captain Olivia Liszt (Baltimore, Md./Mercy) led SMCM with 18 points and added six caroms, two assists, and two steals.
• Mason collected her 10th double-double of the season with 11 rebounds and 10 points plus two blocks and two steals.
• Sophomore guard Saffiyah Gibson (Fort Washington, Md./Central) chipped in 10 points and hauled in a career-best seven boards.

 
Gallaudet Game Notes

• Guettler earned MVP honors after finishing the game with 24 points, including the game-winning layup, while Puent contributed 14 points.

 
Up Next for the Seahawks

• Season Complete

 
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