Jan. 29, 2012
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - It was a pivotal week for many University of Maryland Eastern Shore athletic teams as the basketball teams were involved in decisive Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference contests and the bowling team outlasted 28 other teams to win the Kutztown Invitational. The week also saw women's basketball head coach Fred Batchelor solidify his 100th win as a Hawk.
Lets take a look at action from this past week:
MEN'S BASKETBALL
The Hawks began the week by dropping a 67-55 decision to Bethune-Cookman University at the William P. Hytche Athletic Center. Junior Ronald Spencer (Sicklerville, N.J.) was the top performer for the men as he had a team-high seven rebounds, 12 points and two blocks. Freshman Ishaq Pitt (Toronto, Ontario) led UMES with 13 points and eight assists, while sophomore Greg Womack (Edmond, Okla.) was 4-of-6 from long range for a career-high 12 points.
Despite outscoring BCU in the second half, the Hawks were unable to overcome a 15 point halftime deficit. UMES shot 55 percent from the floor in the second half, including a 9-for-11 performance from the free-throw line.
UMES finished its week off with a loss at North Carolina A&T Unversity, where the Hawks fell 91-66 in Greensboro, N.C. Junior Percy Woods (Hyattsville, Md.) led the team with 16 points, while fellow classman Mark Robertson (Lakewood, N.J.) chipped in with 11.
The men currently stand 11th in the MEAC standings.
Courtesy of a balanced effort this week, senior forward Tyler Hines (Sicklerville, N.J.) was distinguished as the men's recipient of this week's PRMC UMES Athlete of the Week.
Womack was distinguished as this week's spotlight student-athlete in UMES' newest column, A Walk with a Hawk.The article on Womack can be found here.
BOWLING
The bowling team came from behind to win the Kutztown Invitational this past weekend. In her second tournament after being named interim head coach, Kristina Frahm collected the first title as a head coach. The tournament was no ordinary one either, as the Hawks outlasted 28 other teams to win the nation's largest collegiate bowling tournament.
UMES opened up with a fourth-place finish after day one, where the Hawks went 3-3 for 4,680 pins in Baker Play. The Hawks picked it up on day two to move up in the standings, courtesy of the performance of junior T'nia Falbo (Greenburg, Pa.). Falbo averaged a score of just over 211 across six games to lead the team to a 4-2 record.
With a berth into the finals at stake, the Hawks defeated Farleigh Dickinson 4.5 to 1.5 early on Sunday to leapfrog other play and advance to the championship. The Hawks sealed the first championship for Frahm in the next match as they handed FDU its second loss of the day with a 4-1 final.
Falbo's efforts helped her in being distinguished as the women's recipient of this week's PRMC UMES Athlete of the Week.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
The women's basketball team went 1-1 this week, highlighted by a 59-45 victory over Lincoln (Pa.) University on Monday night. The Hawks finished the week by dropping a 53-50 decision to MEAC foe, North Carolina A&T.
Junior forward Chelsea Sanders (Rochester, N.Y.) tallied a career-high 23 points in UMES' win over Lincoln, while senior guard Amber Cook (Greensboro, N.C.) had 14 points and six rebounds. The Hawks held Lincoln scoreless for seven minutes to begin the second-half as they seperated themselves from a 24-24 halftime tie. The win moved Batchelor's win total with the Hawks to 100 in his career.
The women were nipped by NCAT on Sunday, after a pair of late turnovers by the Hawks proved to be the difference. The contest featured the MEAC's second-best offense in the Aggies, while UMES brought its second-best defense to the table. The game was thrilling to the final buzzer as numerous lead changes and big plays were seen by both squads.
Senior forward Adobi Agbasi (Columbus, Ga.) posted seven blocks on the week and now stands just 51 blocks shy of the UMES career blocks record, which is currently held by Kristi Veltkamp with 231.
UPCOMING WEEK (Jan. 30 - Feb. 5)
The men's basketball team begins the week off with a bout against North Carolina Central on Monday, Jan. 30 at 7:30 p.m., before hosting Howard University on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 4 p.m.
The bowling team participates in the Prairie View Invitational in Arlington, Tex., where the Hawks will begin play on Friday, Feb. 3 and will continue action until Feb. 5.
The women's basketball team will begin double-header action in both of its games this week, when the Hawks open up with NC Central on Monday, Jan. 30 at 5:30 p.m., and continue with play against Howard on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 2 p.m.
The indoor track team opens up play in the Collegiate New Balance Games in New York, N.Y., on Feb. 3. The event is scheduled to last until Feb. 5.
For complete recaps, results and news of Hawk athletics, please visit www.umeshawks.com
