Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – Sixth-year head coach Chris Harney '97 (Brick, N.J.) collected his 100th career victory Saturday afternoon as No. 14 St. Mary's College of Maryland posted an 89-80 triumph over Lawrence University at the Trip Sports Cruzin' Classic. Senior captains Sam Burum (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman) and Alex Franz (Catonsville, Md./Cardinal Gibbons) each tallied 20+ points in the win.
Coach Harney is now tied with former skipper Ed Cole (1966-67, 1969-74) who left the program with a record of 100-56 in six seasons as well. Coach Harney will enter the New Year and the second half of the season with an overall mark of 100-50 (53-28 CAC) for a .670 winning percentage – the best in school history.
Coach Harney will get an opportunity to become the school's all-time winningest coach on January 3, 2011 when the Seahawks travel to Greensboro, N.C. to take on Guilford College in non-conference action at 7:00 pm.
Three Seahawks finished in double figures as Burum and Franz combined for 49 points. Burum tallied 17 second-half points en route to 25 points while registering his first double-double of the season with game-best 10 rebounds. Franz picked up 24 points as he notched 14 points in the first half while adding season-best eight boards and five assists.
The game was tight for the first nine minutes of the half with St. Mary's edging Lawrence, 18-16, before Burum's layup at 11:20 set off an 11-0 run to put the Seahawks up by 13 two minutes later. The Vikings came as close as 29-23 at 6:59 before St. Mary's closed out the first half on an 18-9 run to boast a 47-32 halftime advantage.
Sophomore guard Devin Spencer (Baltimore, Md./Towson Catholic) helped the Seahawks (9-2) shot 35.3% from downtown to Lawrence's 27.3% in the first half as Spencer dropped three bombs. Spencer finished the afternoon with season-best 12 points.
Lawrence (4-3) started the second half by outscoring the Seahawks 25-12 in nearly nine minutes to pull within two at 11:37. The Vikings could not get over the hump as St. Mary's responded with an 11-4 run of its own. Lawrence came as close as five with 2:46 remaining but Burum netted eight straight points in the final 1:22 to seal the Seahawks' victory.
Senior center Erik Borresen (West Bend, Wisc./Living Word Lutheran) led four Vikings in double figures with game-high 30 points while first-year guard Chris Seibert (Baraboo, Wisc./Baraboo) added a double-double on 13 points and 10 rebounds.