ARLINGTON, Va. - The Marymount University men's basketball team earned a key Atlantic East Conference victory on Wednesday night, handing Gwynedd Mercy University its second league loss of the season with an 81-75 decision in the Converse Family Fieldhouse.

A well-rounded effort by the whole team had five Saints register double-figure scoring nights led by senior Taiga Walker with 19 points, including 10-for-11 at the free-throw line. He was joined by seniors LaDarius McCord and Ibrahim Kamara with 18 and 14, respectively, junior Steve Etienne with 15 and sophomore Xavier Reaves with 11. 

It was a slow start for the Saints, falling behind early to trail by as much as 16 by the 12:36 mark in the first half. However, over the next nine minutes, MU chipped away at the deficit to eventually draw the game even at 29-29 on a fastbreak finish by Etienne.

Their first lead of the game was in the closing two minutes of the half when McCord drove in for a layup, drawing the and-one finish for the three-point play and 34-31 advantage. By the break, the two teams carried a 37-37 draw to the locker room. 

The second half kicked off with Walker knocking in a mid-range jumper to put the Saints out ahead for the rest of the game, although it remained tight until the final horn with MU reaches its largest lead of eight points with 6:06 left in the contest. 

In the final two minutes, the Griffins got back within three to make the last stretch interesting. Walker, who had the hot hand for the night, dropped in a three-pointer and followed it with a perfect 4-for-4 at the free-throw line to seal up the victory. 

With the victory, the Saints move to 7-3 in league play with just two games remaining, sealing up home court for at least one game in the conference playoffs. 

Marymount will hit the road for the final time in the regular season this Saturday, February 15, taking on Immaculata University. Start time is set for 3 p.m.