Box Score

PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - The University of Maryland Eastern Shore men's basketball team lost in an incredible finish at W.P. Hytche Athletic Center as Edward Stephens drained a 25-foot three-pointer for the game-winner for South Carolina State. In their first overtime game of the year, UMES (10-10, 3-2) fell one big play short on Monday evening.

UMES came into the night riding high after two convincing wins over Morgan State and Savannah State. However, the Hawks never found their offensive rhythm against the Bulldogs. UMES nailed seven three-pointers in the first half, but the outside shooting did not translate into a big lead. Instead, the Hawks struggled on the interior and foul line, keeping South Carolina State close. UMES held a 35-33 advantage at the break, with eight misses from the free throw line and just eight points in the paint.

South Carolina State absorbed several UMES runs to stick around in the second half. The Hawks scored the first five points after intermission to open up a seven-point lead. Then, the Bulldogs hurried back to take a 43-42 lead on a three-pointer by Greg Mortimer. The Hawks buckled down again with a 15-0 run over the course of eight minutes, jumping out to an 11-point lead. Still, South Carolina State found an answer with their own 10-0 run to pull within one point.

In the final minute of regulation, the lead changed hands several times, eventually settling on a 64-64 tie. After two free throws by Mike Myers, Mortimer responded with a jumper to put the Bulldogs up 64-63 with 18 seconds remaining. Devin Martin (Baltimore, Md.) split a pair of foul shots to knot the game with nine seconds to go. Mortimer's layup at the buzzer fell off to send the game into overtime.

The Hawks scored the first four points of the extra period, but again they could not put the Bulldogs away. A layup by Darryl Palmer tied the game at 70-70 with just over a minute left. Myers muscled up a layup through contact, but he missed the free throw to keep the lead at two points. Then, with 2.3 seconds to play in overtime, Edward Stephens leaned in from 25 feet to hit the game-winning three-pointer. Devon Walker's runner from past midcourt kicked off the rim to end the game as a 73-72 defeat.

Five Hawks finished in double digits with Martin and Walker leading the way at 14 each. Myers added 13 points, while Dominique Elliott tallied 12. Ishaq Pitt (Brooklyn, N.Y.) collected 10 points to go along with eight rebounds and seven assists. Still, the Hawks' downfall was poor free throw shooting with crucial misses in the final minutes. As a team, UMES made just 15-of-28 foul shots, a subpar 53.6% mark well below their season average. While the Hawks were 7-of-19 from beyond the arc, all seven makes came in the first half as the shooters went cold in the second half and overtime.

The Hawks must regroup before heading to Florida to face Bethune-Cookman on Saturday afternoon. UMES now sits at 10-10 overall with a 3-2 record in conference play. With the result, South Carolina State jumps ahead of UMES in the MEAC standings by a half game. Tip-off in Daytona Beach, Fla. is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. at Moore Gymnasium on Saturday, January 24.