Dec. 4, 2004
Box Score | Quotes
PRINCESS ANNE, MD - The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) men's basketball team lost a close match to the Delaware State Hornets, 65-55, dropping their Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) opener.
The Fighting Hawks (1-3, 0-1 MEAC) jumped out to an 8-3 lead early in the first half, capped off by a three pointer by junior Corey Brown (Ruthville, Va./Mott CC). A pair of free throws by Caheem Broadus followed by a fast break lay-up allowed Delaware State (2-5, 1-0 MEAC) to gain the momentum at the 8:14 mark, and the Hornets went on a quick 6-1 to take the lead from UMES. Jason McKinnon (Chicago, Ill./Kennedy King CC) knocked down two free throws with 3:09 remaining to cut into the Hornet lead, but Delaware State still went into the half with the three-point advantage, leading the Hawks 28-25.
Carl Pruitt (Chicago, Ill./Kennedy King CC) led the Hawks with six points going into the half, while Brown added five points and two rebounds. Terrance Hunter's nine points led the Hornets.
The start of the second half was dominated by Delaware State, taking a 10-3 run within the first five minutes of play and forcing four UMES turnovers. The Hawks sparked their own run at 14:52 behind a steal by Brown and grabbed their first lead of the second half nearly three minutes later, 41-40.
The teams traded baskets and leads for the next five minutes until a dunk by Jahsha Bluntt at 2:24 broke the match open. Delaware State, gaining momentum from the dunk, promptly went on an 8-2 run to end the game and pulled out the win in front of 3,161 at the Hytche Center.
The Hawks had a well-rounded effort, with three players scoring in double figures. McKinnon had a team-high 12 points to go along with six rebounds, while Pruitt and Brown each finished with 10 points. Aaron Williams and Hunter led the Hornets, scoring 16 points apiece.
UMES will face the Howard Bison on Monday, December 6, in the second game of a double-header also featuring the Lady Hawks. Tip-off at the Hytche Center is slated for 7:30pm.
