ST. MARY'S CITY, Md. - Sophomore Kylie Hall made the biggest shot of her Salisbury University women's basketball career on Tuesday night in the Capital Athletic Conference tournament quarterfinals. Her hook shot with five seconds left lifted the sixth-seed Sea Gulls over third-seed St. Mary's (Md.) College, 79-78.

Salisbury (12-14) advances to the semifinals where its will travel to Arlington, Va., on Thursday to face second-seed Marymount (Va.) University. The Saints defeated seventh-seed Villa Julie College, 71-37, in another CAC quarterfinal game. The Sea Gulls and Saints met a week ago where Marymount held off Salisbury, 69-64. The Saints swept the season series with the Sea Gulls.

The Sea Gulls trailed by eight, 68-60, with 7:24 to play in the second half when the maroon and gold went on an 11-2 run to take a 71-70 lead with 4:13 to go. Junior Monica Merkel scored four of her team-high 22 points during the run. Sophomore Janay Johnson (10 points, six rebounds) and junior Lindsay Martin (17 points) chipped in four and three points, respectively.

St. Mary's (18-8) took a three-point lead after guard Megan Uglik (15 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals) converted a three-point play at the 3:32 mark.

Hall (12 points, six rebounds) scored six of the final eight points for the Sea Gulls in the final three minutes of play. She drained two free-throws to pull SU within one, 74-73, and a minute later knotted the game at 75 on a lay-up in the paint.

The two teams traded buckets as time ticked down before the Seahawks' Steph Saint-Aubin (21 points, eight rebounds) hit a lay-up with 25 seconds left to play and St. Mary's up 78-77. After a Salisbury timeout the Sea Gulls took time off the clock and looked for a final shot and a chance to pull the upset. Hall's hook shot did just that as Salisbury took the 79-78 lead with five seconds left. Time expired as Salisbury celebrated the victory.

The two teams had four players each reach double digits. SMC forward Allie Scott led all-scorers with 26 points and 14 rebounds. Merkel added a team-high 13 rebounds to go with her 22 points to earn her seventh double-double of the season and third against the Seahawks.

St. Mary's dominated the paint as the Seahawks outscored Salisbury, 52-28. The Sea Gulls held a slight edge in points off turnovers, 19-17, and second chance points, 17-13. Both teams only used three players each off the bench where the Sea Gulls outscored the Seahawks, 16-0. The lead changed hands 15 times and was tied 12 different times. SMC outrebounded Salisbury, 48-37. The teams went into halftime tied 34-34.

Salisbury lost both regular-season games with St. Mary's this year. The Seahawks won 78-66 at home on February 2 and 59-53 on December 5 in the Maggs Center.