ST. MARY'S CITY, Md. – The St. Mary's College of Maryland men's basketball team earned a key United East Conference victory Tuesday night (Feb. 10). St. Mary's College (10-12, 6-6 UEC) edged Penn State Berks (6-17, 5-7 UEC), 68-64, as the Seahawks held off a late rally by the Nittany Lions.
 
SMCM's second straight win locked up a spot in the upcoming 2026 United East Men's Basketball Championship Tournament, which begins Feb. 18 with first-round action. St. Mary's College currently sits sixth in the conference standings with one more game left to play in the regular season.
 
How It Happened

• Berks owned the advantage during the early part of the first half, posting a 15-10 advantage at 11:52 on a jump shot by Jaedon Mast.
• The Seahawks responded with a 16-4 run to stake a 26-19 lead with less than six minutes remaining in the half. Senior captain Jake Koverman (Severna Park, Md./Southern) and first-year guard Korey Blair (Baltimore, Md./Overlea) combined for 11 points as the duo knocked down three triples during the run.
• The two teams headed into halftime tied at 28-28. SMCM missed its final six field goals of the half while the Nittany Lions closed out the half on a 9-2 spurt.
• The second half featured six lead changes and two tied scores. Berks once again gained the early edge, building another five-point advantage (37-32) on a three-pointer by Marquis Ferreira at 17:12.
• Down 44-41 with 10:48 to go, St. Mary's College put together a 10-0 run to post a seven-point margin at 8:13. Quentin Wright's layup pulled the Nittany Lions within 62-61 with 2:05 left in regulation. The Seahawks ended the game on a 6-3 push to clinch the win.

 
Inside the Box Score

• SMCM gained 24 points off 16 turnovers by Berks while scoring 23 fastbreak points.
• St. Mary's College shot 46.9-percent from the field for the game while knocking down 12-of-17 free throws in the second half.

 
St. Mary's College Game Notes

• Koverman finished the game with 16 points as he went 8-for-8 at the charity stripe. He also hauled in three rebounds.
• First-year forward Evan Quintero (Fallston, Md./Gilman) came off the bench to contribute 12 points, six boards, and three blocks.
• Blair chipped in 11 points and four caroms while first-year guard Khairi Hyde (Gaithersburg, Md./Wootton) handed out seven dimes to go along with six points, five rebounds, and two steals.

 
Berks Game Notes

• Zach Prator scored a game-best 18 points as four Nittany Lions scored in double digits.

 
Up Next for the Seahawks

• Feb. 14 at Penn State Brandywine (15-9, 10-2 UEC) – Media, Pa. – 1 pm

 
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