Nov. 15, 2009
Box Score
BALTIMORE, Md. - Junior Casey Morton (Mardela Springs, Md.) and redshirt freshman Krystal Watson (Buffalo, N.Y.) combined for 22 points but UMBC was too much for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore women's basketball team, as the Lady Hawks fell, 102-65, in their regular-season opener at the Retriever Activities Center Sunday afternoon.
Morton had a team-high 12 points, including 7-of-10 from the free throw line and three steals and Watson tallied 10 points and eight boards. Senior April McBride (New Rochelle, N.Y.) chipped in with nine points and eight rebounds.
UMES (0-1) fell to 1-6 in the all-time series with the Retrievers. UMBC shot a blistering 55.7 percent from the floor (39-for-70) and held UMES to 25.7 percent (19-for-74) for the game.
Michelle Kurowski (22 points, 14 rebounds) and Meghan Colabella (15 points, 10 boards) both recorded double-doubles for the hosts who had five players score in double figures to pick up their first win of the season.
UMES forced 20 turnovers to just 13 for UMBC. The Retrievers held a commanding rebounding edge, 54-38.
Morton gave UMES an early 9-6 lead with 16:21 to play on a 3-pointer. From there, the Retrievers went on a 10-4 run, taking the lead, 16-13, on Katie Brooks' three seven minutes in. Junior Latoya Buckner (Washington, D.C.) answered with a three of her own to knot the game at 16 with 12:36 left, but that was as close as UMES got to lead the rest of the day.
UMBC engineered another dominating run, scoring 11 of the next 14 to take control, 27-19, at the 8:41 mark. Freshman Sha-Kiyla Finney (Portsmouth, Va.) knocked down another three to cut the lead to five with eight minutes to play in the half.
UMBC had a 43-24 edge at the half.
McBride completed a three-point play in the first minute of the second half to make it 43-30 and shave the deficit to 13 but UMBC continued its hot shooting and pushed the lead to 82-51 with 6:49 left with a layup by Chrissy Robinson. Chelsea Barker gave the Retrievers their biggest lead of the game at 100-62 on a free throw.
UMBC shot 58.3 percent from long range while UMES was 9-for-40 (22.5 percent).
UMES continues on the road Nov. 22 at Manhattan at 2 p.m.
