Reading, PA- The Penn St. Berks Men's Basketball Team had its four-game winning streak snapped by St. Mary's College of Maryland, falling to the Seahawks by a score of 86-79 on Saturday, Jan. 11.

The Lions (4-9 Overall, 3-3 UE) fell behind early, as the Seahawks (9-7 Overall, 5-2 UE) raced out to an 8-2 lead. Berks began to find its rhythm as Andre Ballard drilled a 3-pointer to cut the deficit down one. Isaiah Cotten converted a pair of free throws to put Berks ahead and then Jaedon Mast came away with two straight steal and scores, to extend the advantage. The Lions remained ahead using a strong defensive effort to create easy layups in transition. St. Mary's (MD) tied the game at 21 momentarily before Ballard swished another 3-pointer. Kai Davis and Surzano Solomon converted free throws to stretch the lead. Ballard pushed the lead to nine, converting a layup in the paint to make the score 30-21 with 3:37 remaining in the half. The Seahawks closed the gap before the half, but Berks led 35-34 at the break.

Marquis Ferreira started the second half with a bang, drilling a 3-pointer. Ballard kept the 3-point flurry going, hitting one from the top of the arc. The Seahawks quickly erased the deficit, tying the game at 43. Ferreira and Kai Davis converted layups on back-to-back trips, building a four-point lead. The Seahawks recaptured momentum, going on a 16-3 run to build a nine-point lead. Luke Collins tried to rally the Lions back, hitting a 3-pointer from the wing. Davis hit another 3-pointer, pulling Berks back within five points with 8:15 remaining. Josh Mingledolph then hit another 3-pointer, cutting the Seahawks lead down to two. Later in the quarter, Ferreira brought Berks within one point with a 3-pointer from the corner. Ballard used a steal and score to level the score at 72 with 2:50 remaining in regulation. Berks could not regain the lead and the Seahawks pulled away down the stretch to earn the 86-79 victory.

Ballard led the Lions in scoring, racking up 19 points along with six rebounds. Mast used a team-high six steals to score 15 points. Ferreira racked up 14 points, hitting twice from beyond the arc. Davis made a splash off the bench, scoring 10 points.

WHO'S NEXT
The Lions will hit the road, traveling to face Saint Elizabeth University on Tuesday, Jan. 14. The tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 PM.

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