Breslin Matches Career High with 31 Points in Loss

OWINGS MILLS, MD -- McDaniel College survived a late rally by Washington College to hold on for a 70-68 win in a consolation semifinal game of the Pride of Maryland Championship in men's basketball action today at Stevenson University.

McDaniel led by as many as 14 points in the first half and held a 32-20 lead before the Shoremen ended the period by scoring six of the final eight points to trim the margin to 34-26 at the intermission.

The Green Terror held a lead between five and nine points throughout the second half until WC freshman guard Donovan Womack (Newark, DE/Delcastle) hit a three-pointer with 2:05 left to cut the lead to 64-60. Devon Lesniak answered for the Green Terror with a long three to beat the shot clock and give McDaniel a 67-60 advantage with 1:25 to go.  Washington got back within four points on a pair of free throws by junior guard Kevin Breslin (Hagerstown, MD/St. Maria Goretti) with 44 seconds to play, making the score 67-63. Lesniak made a pair of free throws with 17.5 seconds left to push the lead back to six points and 69-63, but a Breslin lay-in with 11.6 to go cut the margin back to four at 69-65.  Junior guard Sal Schittino (Ellicott City, MD/Loyola Blakefield) hit a three-pointer with 1.3 to go to get the Shoremen within one point at 69-68. Lesniak was fouled on the ensuing inbounds with .5 seconds left. He made the first to make it 70-68 and missed the second deliberately as the Shoremen could not get off a final shot.

Lesniak led McDaniel with 22 points on 7-for-12 shooting from the field and 6-of-8 shooting at the free-throw line. He also handed out four assists. Evan Pupelis added 13 points and a game-best eight rebounds for the Green Terror. 

Breslin poured in a career-high tying 31 points on 10-for-18 shooting from the field and 10-of-12 shooting from the line. He also grabbed five rebounds and swiped four steals. He was the only Shoreman in double figures in scoring. Junior forward Adam Naymick (Hanover, PA/Delone Catholic) led the Shoremen in rebounds with seven and had four steals of his own. 

McDaniel shot 51% from the field in the game to Washington's 40% and held a 36-29 advantage on the boards. The Green Terror committed 16 turnovers to the Shoremen's 13.

McDaniel will play the winner of today's Johns Hopkins-Goucher game in the fifth-place game of the Pride of Maryland Championship tomorrow at 4:15 p.m. The Shoremen will play the loser of the Johns Hopkins-Goucher game in the seventh-place game at 2:00 p.m.