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Game Notes
Dec. 17, 2011
Colorado Springs, Colo. -- The University of Maryland Eastern Shore men's basketball team will play the United States Air Force Academy in its last non-conference game before the holiday break Saturday. The game is scheduled for a 7 PM (MT) start.
The Hawks are coming off a 95-69 win over Mercy College. Louis Bell and Percy Woodslead the team this season in points per game, averaging 11.3 and 10.8 respectively.
Bell has scored double figures in his last three games. Against Mercy he scored 14 points, while posting his second highest point total of the season (17) versus conference foe Delaware State, and 15 points versus Navy. Bell finished with a personal best 21 points in the Hawks home opening win over American.
Woods has been solid at the point guard position all year, and as head coach Frankie Allenfeels, he has been a strong on the ball defender and the team's floor general. The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference recently named Woods its conference player of the week following a 16-point 10-assist game.
He has had a string of games where he tallied double figures, all against non-conference opponents. In seven games where he has scored double digits, UMES has won just two games. In just four games has he tallied single digits. Just
Given the play by the Hawks frontcourt, its backcourt has struggled. Post-play has managed just 385 total rebounds with senior Tyler Hinesleading the team with an average of 6.9 rebounds per game. Hines, a 6-foot-7 forward is the shortest of the 6-foot-10 average forwards and centers on the UMES team.
Hines grabbed a season-high 15 rebounds in the Hawks season opener at George Washington. Just one other time this season has he had double figure rebounds. Against Navy Hines posted his first double-double performance managing 11 points and 14 rebounds.
For UMES to be competitive versus Air Force, not only will its guard play need to be top notch, but so must Hines and his fellow post players. Air Force averages 34.1 rebounds per game. Taylor Broekhuis has his team's highest average in rebounds per game (6.4), and is third in points per game.
Michael Lyons, the Falcons points per game leader, averages 19.0 a game. This season Lyons has tallied a total of 133 points. Lyons has 55 more points than teammate Mike Fitzgerald who averages 11.0 points per game.
With Air Force entering the game with a 5-2 record, the two teams are comparable in most major statistical categories. The Falcons two loses came in overtime versus Colorado (76-73), and at Drake (62-60).
Air Force is averaging 68.3 points per game while allowing just 56.6. In comparison, UMES is averaging just +2.2 points more per game, while giving up just over 71 points to its opponents.
UMES is capable of playing tough with Air Force, and given that the Hawks have a balanced game in both periods, while keeping the Falcon offense in control UMES could leave Colorado Springs with its fourth non-conference win.
