Box Score

PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - The University of Maryland Eastern Shore men's basketball team hung tough with Old Dominion University before the Monarchs pulled away in the second half for a 60-43 win on Friday night. UMES (5-8) trailed by just five points at halftime, but the offense could not keep pace after halftime.

The Hawks burst out of the gates, establishing a 7-2 lead in the first three minutes. The two teams went back and forth in a seesaw battle with five lead changes in the first half. Old Dominion opened a nine-point lead, before UMES closed to within five points at the intermission.

A prolonged offensive drought held back the Hawks' bid for a third straight win. UMES went without a field goal for ten minutes from a Devin Martin jumper at 18:29 to a Mike Myers layup at 8:03 remaining. In this span, Old Dominion pushed their lead out to fifteen points over UMES. After the lengthy span between buckets, UMES never pulled back within 11 points for the remainder of the contest.

Turnovers proved to be the difference in the game. UMES committed 18 turnovers as Old Dominion repeatedly jumped into passing lanes, coming away with 11 steals. The Monarchs turned those mistakes into open court opportunities, scoring 10 fast break points and 22 total points off turnovers. Meanwhile, Old Dominion took care of their possessions, giving away just nine turnovers.

Myers led the Hawks with 13 points, though again he attempted just six shots on the evening. The senior forward also made five of his eight free throw attempts. Iman Johnson (Milwaukee, Wis.) and Ishaq Pitt (Brooklyn, N.Y.) both started and thrived in their increased roles with eight and seven points respectively. After being named MEAC Player of the Week, Martin had a relatively quiet game, hitting a three on the opening possession but managing just five points for the night.

Old Dominion has now won six in a row, improving to 9-1. The Hawks dropped to 5-8, for now delaying their chances for the team's first three-game winning streak since March of 2011. ODU has defeated UMES in all eight head-to-head matchups between the two schools.

UMES turns their attention to St. Bonaventure for a Monday night matchup in New York. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at the Reilly Center in St. Bonaventure, N.Y. Pregame coverage begins at 6:40 p.m. on the Hawks Radio Network, powered by SFMSports.net and Fox Sports 960 AM.