Feb. 14, 2005
Box Score
PRINCESS ANNE, MD - The University of Maryland Eastern Shore women's basketball team, who has now won eight of its last 13 games following a 2-8 start downed Bethune-Cookman College 54-49 on Monday, February 14, 2005 in a critical Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference match-up.
Led by Kristi Veltkamp (Lansing, Mich./Lansing Home School), who was named the MEAC's Co-Rookie of the Week on Monday, Toni Kennedy (Baltimore, MD/Grayson County College) and Qiana Cheatham (Baltimore, MD/Milford Mill Academy), the Lady Hawks dominated play from beyond the arc.
Kennedy led all scores with 14 as she buried four 3-pointers. Cheatham scored 8 points including two 3-pointers and Veltkamp chipped in 10 to go with 7 rebounds and three blocks. Sarah Johnson's 13 points led the Lady Eagles. UMES made eight of its 19 field goals from outside the arc, while BCC only converted four 3-point attempts out of 12 tries.
In the first half, the Lady Hawks suffocating defense surrendered only two points over the first four and a half minutes as UMES jumped out to an early 8-2 advantage capped by an Ashley Chase (Baltimore, MD/Dunbar HS)three-pointer.
The Lady `Cats were able to pull within a point at 15-14, but Cheatham gave the Lady Hawks some breathing room with her second three-point make of the half, coming off of a big offensive rebound by Daynese Stowe (Philadelphia, PA/Florida CC).
Bethune-Cookman closed out the half strong, rallying from down as many as seven to pull to within two points at 26-24.
Cheatham led all scorers at half with all eight of her points and led with three rebounds. Katie Clark, who hit a three-pointer with just over a minute left in the half that ended a span of 3:13 in which BCC had not scored a point, led BCC with seven points.
In the second half, UMES quickly built upon its slim advantage with a 12-5 run to start the half, highlighted by a Veltkamp layup, block shot and two rebounds and capped by a NBA range three-pointer from Toni Kennedy.
Leading 38-29, BCC answered with a 12-5 run of its own to make it a two-point game with four minutes remaining. The Lady Wildcats pulled to within one at 45-44 but a Jamila Griffith (Barbados, West Indies/Tallahassee CC) layup and a Chase three-pointer put the Lady Hawks up 50-44 with just under a minute remaining.
BCC made a late charge as they scored five quick points, as UMES could not convert on the free throw line as Veltkamp missed the first of two. She did make the second, but a lane violation on UMES wiped out the attempt.
The maroon and gray looked to Griffith to make it a three point lead and she came through converting on both of her free throw attempts giving the Lady Hawks a 52-49 lead with 29.6 seconds remaining. The Lady Wildcats tried to get a quick shot inside, but Veltkamp's presence down low caused a wild shot by BCC and then Kennedy closed the game out from the free throw line.
UMES will be in action on Saturday, February 19, facing off against the Norfolk State Spartans. Tip off at the Hytche Center is slated for 2:00pm.
