Dec. 5, 2009

Box Score | Photo Gallery

PRINCESS ANNE, Md - Three players scored in double digits led by 25 from senior April McBride (New Rochelle, N.Y.) as the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) women's basketball team defeated Delaware State University (DSU), 74-61, in the MEAC opener for both teams at the William P. Hytche Athletic Center Saturday.

McBride shot 11-of-17 from the field and 3-of-3 from the foul line while grabbing eight rebounds, including six on the offensive glass. She also dished out a game-high-tying four assists. The win is the Lady Hawks' first of the season and improves UMES' record to 1-3 while DSU fell to 1-5.

Junior Casey Morton (Mardela Springs, Md.) added 16 points and six boards and sophomore Amber Cook (Greensboro, N.C.) chipped in 13, four boards and two assists.

"I thought we played much better in the second half," said UMES head coach Fred Batchelor. "We got much better play out of Casey and then the big contribution from Amber Cook and a solid overall game from April McBride. I think the key was that we were able to get something out of her. ... I thought we got a good contribution from the bench as well. So, it was a good team win."

UMES shot a season-high 52.7 percent (29-for-55) and was 56.7 percent from the floor (17-for-30) in the second half.

Sade Bowen and Alexis Abraham led the Lady Hornets in scoring with 13 and 12 points, respectively.

UMES battled back from a nine-point deficit in the first half. Frederica Holloman gave Delaware State a 22-13 advantage with 8:45 to play when she converted a layup.

The Lady Hawks ran off the next six points to cut the lead to three on hoops from Morton, McBride and freshman Karona Roach (Bear, Del.).

Morton later knocked down a three to knot the game at 28 with 3:25 to play, but Abraham answered with a 3-pointer of her own to restore the DSU lead, which the Lady Hornets took in the locker room at 35-32.

Cook scored the first four points of the second half in with just over a minute to give UMES a 36-35 edge. The go-ahead bucket came on a fast break with freshman Shaneva Hayward (Los Angeles, Calif.) getting an assist on the play.

Selena Galloway tallied a pair of free throws to give Delaware State its final lead of the game (37-36) with 17:46 remaining. Cook was fouled on the next trip down the court and converted two more from the line and UMES never looked back from there.

The lead grew to six at 45-39 on the second of two Morton free throws with 14 and a half to play and UMES was on its way. The Lady Hawks earned their first double-digit advantage of the afternoon with just 1:11 left on two more Cook freebies.

Redshirt sophomore Bria Jackson (Rochester, N.Y.) then stole the inbounds pass and put it up and in to extended the lead to 71-59.

UMES outrebounded DSU (38-28), had four less turnovers (21-17), more second-chance points (19-5) and shutout the Lady Hornets in fast-break points (10-0).

UMES continues its three-game homestand when it hosts Iona Monday at 6 p.m.