Feb. 28, 2014
Game Notes | Live Stats | Listen Live
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - The Homecoming atmosphere has been good for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore men's basketball team already once this year and the Hawks will look to make it two in a row, when the team heads to Baltimore to take on Coppin State on Saturday at 4 p.m. UMES also looks for revenge in the game as the Eagles pinned a 58-50 decision on the Hawks three weeks ago. The matchup is the first of two consecutive on the road for the Hawks and is the annual Homecoming event for CSU.
Coppin State (9-18, 6-7 MEAC) leads the all-time series, 58-17. UMES has won just four of the past 11 meetings against CSU, but won three in a row between 2010 and 2011. The Eagles are directly in the middle of the MEAC standings with room to move up, while the Hawks find themselves in 13th place overall.
UMES (4-22, 2-11 MEAC) looks to gather some momentum heading into the MEAC Tournament. UMES has been great on the offensive side of the ball as of late, where the Hawks are averaging 79 points-per-game over their last five. The 79 ppg average over the past five games is the most from a Hawk outfit in recent times, with the closest being in 2006 when UMES had a 75.8 average over five consecutive matches. The men have scored atleast 72 points in every game of the span and have seen their season averages rise three points to 65.6.
The offensive spree has been generated by senior Troy Snyder (Chicago, Ill.), who is averaging 18.7 ppg and 9.0 rpg in the past nine games. Snyder has scored atleast 20 points in his last five games, including a career-high 34 against Howard on Homecoming.
Freshman Hakeem Baxter (Philadelphia, Pa.) has earned the second-most MEAC Rookie of the Week honors in the conference this season, while freshman Devon Walker (Philadelphia, Pa.) has scored atleast 19 points in three of his last four games. UMES has three players scoring over 10 ppg in Baxter, Snyder and junior KyRee Jones (Indianapolis, Ind.).
Coppin State is being paced by Michael Murray, who is leading the Eagles in points, rebounds and blocks. Murray stands at 14.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg and 0.5 bpg. The Eagles are the best free-throw shooting team in the league (74%), but are giving up the most points as well (75.6). CSU has just three players with over four rebounds a game and come into the contest losing their past three games.
Let's take a look at a few game notes for Saturday's matchup:
- LAST TIME OUT: Troy Snyder notched his third double-double in the past five games, but his effort was not to be mirrored by his teammates, as UMES fell to Hampton, 104-89, before 1,038 at the W.P. Hytche Center on Monday night. The points scored in the game was the second most of the season for the Hawks. UMES has now lost eight consecutive to Hampton
- MATCHUP AGAINST CSU: CSU holds a 58-17 advantage all-time in the series. UMES fell to Coppin St., 58-50, three weeks ago. The Eagles have won seven of the past 11 meetings between the two, but the Hawks are 2-3 against CSU in the last four meetings in Princess Anne. UMES won three in a row against CSU in 2010
- ON AN OFFENSIVE TEAR: UMES is averaging 79 ppg over its last five games, rising its season average over three points to 65.6 ppg. The Hawks have scored atleast 72 ppg in each of the last five, a total UMES reached just twice in the previous 21 games
- EPIC SCORING SPREE: The closest UMES has come to 79 ppg over a five game span was in 2006 when the Hawks averaged 75.8 over five consecutive contests. UMES did not score 72 points in one game last season
- SNYDER WITH THE HOT HAND IN FEBRUARY: Troy Snyder is averaging 9.0 rpg and 18.7 ppg in the past nine games (all in February). Snyder has atleast six rebounds in each of the past nine games, including 51 over the past five. Snyder has scored atleast 12 points in all but one game in February. He had atleast 20 ppg in each of the last 5 games, including 34 vs. How. (Feb. 15)
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