ST. MARY'S CITY, Md. – A second-half surge by the Salisbury University women's basketball team allowed SU to surpass Capital Athletic Conference opponent St. Mary's (Md.) College, 78-69, on Saturday afternoon. Junior Becca Himes and senior Katie McGahagan led the charge for the Sea Gulls as Himes recorded a career-best 17 points and McGahagan picked up her sixth double-double of the season with a team-high 18 points and 10 rebounds.

After 26 minutes of play Salisbury (9-7, 4-1 CAC) seemed to have found its rhythm against the Seahawks having shot just 22.6 percent in the first half.

Sophomore Aleisha Hobbs started a 14-0 run, laying two in off the glass, cutting SU's deficit to 15 points, 48-33. Salisbury would continue to hack away at the St. Mary's lead, going inside to Hobbs, Himes and freshman Kathy Albornoz; the trio accumulated 12 points during the run. Sophomore Anna Hackett would cut the Seahawks' edge to three, 48-45 with 10:04 to go, taking a pass from Himes and converting the layup. Hackett finished with 13 points, two assists and five steals.

St. Mary's (8-8, 2-4 CAC) would take back a five-point cushion, 50-45, but SU's play on the boards and quick ball movement led to sophomore Courtney McManus tying the game for the first time, 52-52, after hitting a three-pointer with seven minutes to play. McManus went 4-for-6 from the floor for 13 points, hitting three shots from long-range and grabbing five rebounds.

Salisbury took its first lead of the day as Himes converted a layup, drew the foul and put away her attempt from the stripe for a one-point advantage, 59-58. After Salisbury took the lead, it would switch hands and become tied one last time before Salisbury pulled away for the nine-point victory.

SU shot 54.5 percent from the floor in the second half, holding the Seahawks to 30 percent. The Sea Gulls outscored the Seahawks in the paint (38-26), off the bench (25-10) and off second chance opportunities (21-13) to overcome St. Mary's in the second half.

Salisbury will host Stevenson University in a non-conference contest on Monday, Jan. 21, taking the court at 6 p.m.