March 10, 2014

Game Notes | Listen Live! | MEAC TV

Tournament Central | Tournament Bracket

NORFOLK, Va. - If history tells us anything, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore men's basketball team is in store for a big game on Monday night as the 13-seeded Hawks will take on No. 4 Norfolk State at Scope Arena in the Opening Round of the MEAC Tournament. The last time UMES won its regular season finale, the Hawks also went on to win their first round game of the MEAC Tournament. Also, UMES has not lost three games to the same team in one season in over five years.

The men have been defeated by Norfolk State already twice this season, but will look to change things on Monday night. UMES is 2-8 in its last 10 MEAC Tournament appearances, but won their opening round games in 2010 and 2011. NSU leads the all-time series, 42-16, and pinned a pair of losses on the Hawks in the MEAC Quarterfinals in 2006 and 2007. UMES is 0-3 in the MEAC Tournament in the past three years, losing in the opener of each.

The Hawks will look to senior Troy Snyder (Chicago, Ill.) to lead the way. The forward has scored eight consecutive games on 20-plus points and recorded double-doubles in five of those games. He is averaging 24.2 ppg and 10.1 rpg over his last eight and has scored over 30 points two times during that span. Snyder was recently named to the College Sports Madness All-MEAC Third Team.

Freshman Hakeem Baxter (Philadelphia, Pa.) scored a career-high 30 points in UMES' 84-70 victory over Delaware State and will anchor the point for the Hawks, while freshman Devon Walker (Philadelphia, Pa.) hopes to hit fire from long-range again. Senior Pina Guillaume (N'Djamena, Chad) recorded his first double-double in over two years for the Hawks in their win on Saturday and junior KyRee Jones (Indianapolis, Ind.) is off the shelf and set to build on his 13.4 ppg.

Norfolk State finished 11-5 in MEAC play this year and was set to receive a first-round bye, but was upended by N.C. Central on the final day of regulation to move into the fourth-seed. The Spartans are being led by Pendarvis Williams, Brandon Goode and Malcolm Hawkins, each of which were selected to the College Sports Madness All-MEAC teams.

Hawkins is averaging 16.4 ppg and 4.2 rpg, while Williams sits at 15.6 ppg. Goode is among the MEAC's best big men with 7.1 rpg and 69 blocks. NSU is second in the league in scoring (73.1) and is the MEAC's beset shooting team (46.6-percent). The Spartans nearly ran the table last season after completing the regular season 16-0 in conference.

Let's take a look at a few game notes of today's matchup:

- LAST TIME OUT: Led by a trio of seniors competing in their final regular season home game, UMES delivered a statement last Thursday night, as the Hawks posted an 84-70 victory before 4,405 strong at the W.P. Hytche Athletic Center. Troy Snyder notched his eighth consecutive game with atleast 20 points as he tied a game-high with 30 points. The senior was matched by Hakeem Baxter, who had a career-high 30 points and five boards.

- MATCHUP AGAINST NSU: NSU leads the all-time series record 41-16 and have won 22 of the past 24 games against the Hawks. The Spartans have already defeated UMES twice this season, including a 77-65 victory over the Hawks on March 3. NSU has won the past six meetings by atleast 10 points

- RECENT PLAY IN MEAC TOURNEY: UMES is 0-3 over the last three years in the MEAC Tournament. The men have been outscored by an average of 14.7 points during that span. UMES is 2-8 in its last 10 MEAC Tournament games with two losses to Norfolk State in the MEAC Tourney opener in 2006 and 2007. UMES last won with a win vs. FAMU, 87-85, in 2OT in 2011

- UMES' MEAC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE: With the Hawks holding the No. 13 seed in the MEAC Tournament, they are scheduled to play against No. 4, Norfolk State. The winner of the game will then play the winner of the No. 5 Savannah State and No. 12 South Carolina State game on Thursday at 8 p.m.

- SNYDER NEARLY UNTOUCHABLE: Snyder is averaging 24.4 ppg and 10.1 rpg over his past eight games. The streak has seen Snyder tally 20-plus points each game and he has tallied double-doubles in five of his past eight contests. The senior has scored 30-plus points twice in the span with 34 points vs. Howard on Homecoming and 30 against Delaware State on Senior Day

For complete recaps, results and news of Hawk athletics, please visit www.umeshawks.com