Jan. 27, 2010

Box Score

PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - Freshman Chelsea Sanders (Rochester, N.Y.) and junior Casey Morton (Mardela Springs, Md.) combined for 33 points as the University of Maryland Eastern Shore women's basketball team downed North Carolina Central, 64-43, in front of 1,497 at the William P. Hytche Athletic Center Wednesday.

Sanders tied for the game high with 18 points on 5-of-12 shooting to go along with four rebounds while Morton chipped in with 15 on 6-of-11 from the floor and a career-high-tying seven assists and season-high five steals for UMES which averaged a 69-60 loss at NCCU on Jan. 7. The win improved the Lady Hawks to 7-9 on the season with a 3-7 mark in non-conference games. The Lady Eagles fell to 6-13.

Chena Parker (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) pulled down a team-high eight rebounds as the Lady Hawks won the battle of the boards by a 35-31 margin. UMES also outshot NCCU, 45.1 percent to 35.6 percent for the game.

NCCU was led by Joanna Miller, who was 6-for-11 with 18 points and six rebounds. Latoya Bennett grabbed a agme-high 11 boards for the Lady Eagles.

UMES spotted NCCU a quick five points in the first minute of play but battled back to take a 6-5 lead at the 15:28 mark on a Morton steal and layup. Danielle Deberry responded with a bucket at 14:39 to give the lead back to the visitors before UMES regained it for good at 16-14 on a Morton 3-pointer with less than nine minutes remaining in the half.

The Lady Hawks closed the half on a 19-9 run to take a 35-23 lead into the locker room.

Sanders hit a three five minutes into the second half to put her team on top by 17 at 46-29 and Amber Cook (Greensboro, N.C.) gave UMES its first 20-point advantage with a free throw with 9:08 to play.

Miller knocked down a three of her own with eight-and-a-half left to get NCCU back within 17 at 53-36 but that was as close as the Lady Eagles crept the rest of the night.

UMES took its biggest lead of the night on the strength of an 8-2 run over the next 4:17, leading 61-38 with 4:14 to play on a Parker layup from Sanders.

NCCU committed 32 turnovers to UMES' 22, the Lady Hawks converted those miscues into 25 points while the Lady Eagles managed 14 points off of turnovers.

UMES jumps back into MEAC play when it hosts Howard at the Hytche Center Saturday (Jan. 30) at 2 p.m.