Pittsburgh, Pa. – The No. 19 St. Mary's College of Maryland men's basketball team claimed the Carnegie Mellon University Double Tree Tournament title Sunday afternoon with a 78-70 victory over the St. Vincent College Bearcats in the championship game.
Senior forward Jeff Haus (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) was named the Tournament MVP while fellow senior Devin Spencer (Baltimore, Md./Towson Catholic) also earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
All five St. Mary's starters scored in double figures while junior guard Donn Hill (Aberdeen, Md./Bel Air) recorded his first career double-double with season-bests of 14 points and 10 rebounds. Spencer led all players with 17 points on 4-of-7 shooting from downtown while Haus notched 15 points and nine boards.
St. Mary's (3-1) shot a season-best 59.3% in the first half, including 4-of-7 in long-range shooting, en route to a 37-35 halftime advantage. After the Seahawks outscored St. Vincent 15-10 in the first 5:15 of the contest, the Bearcats used a 12-4 run to stake their first and only lead of the game at 7:47.
Sophomore center MacGyver Biniak's (Elkridge, Md./Howard) layup 21 seconds later sparked an 18-9 run that he capped with a 1-of-2 effort at the free throw line to give St. Mary's a 37-31 margin with 54 seconds left in the half. The Bearcats' sophomore forward Sean Kett (Miami, Fla.) came off the bench to score the last four points of the half and pull his squad within two at intermission.
Spencer paced all scorers at the half with 11 points as he connected on three long-range shots while St. Mary's could not shake the Bearcats as SVC shot well from the field and the charity stripe, making 46.2% of their shots and posting an 8-of-11 effort at the line.
Haus erupted for 13 of his 15 points in the second half, including tallying eight points in just over a three-minute span, as the Seahawks stretched their two-point halftime lead to 63-52 with 8:05 left in the game behind a 26-17 start to the second stanza which Spencer capped with his fourth triple of the day.
St. Vincent (3-2) used a 13-6 run to come within four at 2:56 thanks in part to a pair of three-point baskets by junior guard Isaac Turner (Winter Park, Fla.). The Seahawks went 5-of-6 from the line and Haus and Biniak each scored to seal the win. Biniak finished the day with 11 points and four caroms while sophomore guard Nick LaGuerre (Baltimore, Md./Lansdowne) added 10 points, three assists and two steals.
Senior guard Chris Klimchock (Greensburg, Pa.) paced the Bearcats with 14 points while junior forward Dillon Stith (Bedford, Va.) contributed 13 points off the bench.
The Seahawks will be back in action on Saturday, December 1 when St. Mary's hosts York College of Pennsylvania (1-3) in the Capital Athletic Conference opener for both squads at 4:00 pm.
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