Jan. 24, 2013

PRINCESS ANNE, Md. --The University of Maryland Eastern Shore men's basketball team (1-13, 1-2 MEAC) will travel south to Florida to face two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opponents. The Hawks begin with Florida A&M (Jan. 26) at 6 p.m., followed by Bethune-Cookman (Jan. 28) 7:30 p.m. Florida A&M (5-14, 2-3 MEAC) and Bethune-Cookman (7-13, 2-3 MEAC) sit middle-of-the road in MEAC standings.

UMES lost its first MEAC game of the season in 2012 to Delaware State, but redeemed its earlier loss January 19 with a 58-53 home-court win over the Hornets. Led offensively by Kevin Mays in the contest, his five games played this season have given UMES a more physical presence on both ends of the court.

Mays notched a career-high 27 points against Norfolk State, a game which UMES battled to within five points of the Spartans lead. He followed that performance with a game-high leading 17 points against the Hornets.

Francis Ezeiru did not play in many contests near the end of the 2012 season, but since his return he has led the Hawks in rebounding in back-to-back contests. He recorded a high of 13 rebounds against the Spartans, followed by a nine rebound game against Delaware State. The duo has made an immediate impact, and with Troy Snyder, who is currently third in points per game, coming into stride should make for an impressive couple of games in Florida.