ST. MARY'S CITY, Md. - The St. Mary's (Md.) College men's basketball was the team that allowed Salisbury University into the 2008 Capital Athletic Conference tournament and it was the Seahawks that knocked the visiting Sea Gulls out with a 95-89 semifinal loss on Thursday night.

Salisbury (7-20) trailed by as much as 23 points in the first half as the Sea Gulls went into the half down 56-35. The Sea Gulls battled back in the second half as SU managed to pull within two points, 84-82, with 3:44 left in the game. SMC's shooting was too much for Salisbury down the stretch as the Seahawks only missed one shot. The Seahawks (16-11) shot 53.1 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range.

Salisbury scored 56 second half points as the Sea Gulls shot 58.8 percent from the field along with seven three-pointers (11 for the game). The 89 total points is a new season-high for the maroon and gold.

Junior guard Wesley Sweet scored 18 of his career-high 26 points in the second half to lead Salisbury. Sophomore Greg Palmer ended the game with 19 points and five rebounds. This is the 17th straight game Palmer has reached double figures and scored at least one three-pointer. Junior Brandon Abney (14 points) scored 10 second half points and accumulated a game-high five steals. Senior Gary Ward scored 13 points in his final game for SU. Junior Sean Whittaker was the other Gull in double digits as he scored 10 points, eight in the second half, and grabbed a team-high six rebounds.

Sweet drained two second half free throws at the 1:33 mark to cut the SMC lead to three, 87-84. Seahawk Alex Irmer (22 points, nine rebounds) scored a lay-up 30 seconds later and was fouled in the process. Irmer converted the three-point play to push the Seahawk lead back to six with 54 seconds left. Salisbury came back down the court and it was Sweet who grabbed a rebound off a missed three-pointer by Whittaker and followed with a good jumper with 36 seconds left. SMC iced the game with five free throws down the stretch.

SMC's starting five ended the game in double figures led by Calvin Wise's double-double of 11 points and 14 rebounds.

SU tied a season-high mark for steals with 11 which resulted in 29 points off 18 turnovers by the Seahawks. The two teams were even in the paint (38-38) while the Seahawks held a 32-15 advantage in scoring by the bench.

St. Mary's will travel to second-seed University of Mary Washington on Saturday, March 1, to compete in its first CAC championship since 1991. The Eagles defeated sixth-seed Marymount (Va.) University, 75-65, in the other semifinal game. This is the third conference title appearance for the Eagles.

SMC's last-second victory last Saturday (February 23) over Wesley College, 71-68, allowed Salisbury to get into the CAC tournament as the eighth-seed. The Sea Gulls took down top-seed York (Pa.) College on the road Tuesday with a 76-71 win in the quarterfinal round.

The loss marks the end of three careers at Salisbury. Ward completed his senior season as the team leader in three-point field goals made (75) and defensive rebounds (97). In three seasons at SU, Ward compiled 691 points in 80 games for the maroon and gold.

Forward Jonas Vaitkus, a four-year letterman, was first this season in rebounds (139) and blocked shots (14) and third on the team in scoring with 247 points. Guard Todd Ostrom was second on the team in assists (58) and third in free-throw percentage (.800) in his only season with the maroon and gold.