Nov. 15, 2015 Box Score | Photo Gallery 
| SFMSports Postgame
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - After a tough loss in their last outing, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) Women's Basketball team rebounded and picked up their first victory of the season against USC-Upstate, 78-59, inside the William P. Hytche Athletic Center. As a result, the squad also defeated the Spartans for the first time in the program's history, dating back to 2013.
UMES head coach Fred Batchelor, who picked up his 199th career win, saw the Lady Hawks come out sharp and aggressive. Maryland Eastern Shore outrebounded the Spartans, 50-31, and outscored USC-Upstate every quarter. The biggest difference came from the bench as UMES' bench squad registered 43 points while the Spartans posted 15 points.
Freshman guard Ciani Byrom (Winston-Salem, N.C.) led all scorers as she recorded 24 points in 20 minutes of play. With senior TeAmber Burke (Washington, N.C.) inserted into the starting lineup, Byrom became the first Hawk off the bench and she did not disappoint. Byrom shot 9-of-12 from the floor and 5-of-7 from the charity stripe.
Fellow Tar Hill native Alexus Hicks (Raleigh, N.C.) continued her hot shooting, finishing with 13 points on 3-of-5 shooting from downtown.
At the 5:17 mark in the third quarter, UMES took a double-digit advantage, 51-41, after a layup from Moengaroa Subritzky (Auckland, New Zealand). USC-Upstate responded with a 6-0 spurt, capped off by two freebies from Tamera Thorpe, 51-47. Maryland Eastern Shore bounced back with a run of their own as they finished the quarter on a 12-2 run to take a commanding lead into the fourth quarter, 63-49.
USC-Upstate opened the fourth with back-to-back layups to trim the deficit, 63-53, forcing Coach Batchelor to use a timeout at the 9:13 mark. After the brief intermission, UMES went back on the attack. Within a matter of minutes, the Lady Hawks ballooned the advantage to 20 points, 77-57, with more than three minutes left in the game. USC-Upstate's Brittany Starling made a layup, but a freebie from Subritzky made the final score 78-59.
Other notable Lady Hawks included Subritzky tallying 10 points and six boards while freshman guard Keyera Eaton (Winston-Salem, N.C.) gave UMES another spark off the bench. The North Carolina product consistently attacked the rim and crashed the boards; thus, finishing with nine points and five rebounds in the victory.
There were multiple lead changes early on, but Maryland Eastern Shore began creating separation once Byrom entered the contest. After trailing, 3-2, the Lady Hawks went on a 12-5 run and took a seven-point lead, 14-7. USC-Upstate's head coach Tammy George requested a timeout to regroup her club. UMES led after one, 18-13.
USC-Upstate opened the second quarter on a 7-1 run and reclaimed the lead after a long ball from Brittany Clency. The lead was short lived as Byrom made a layup and gave UMES the advantage back, 21-20. After a free throw by the Spartans' Raven Jefferson, the contest was tied, 21-21, with less than six remaining before halftime. Both clubs went on mini-runs throughout the quarter until the ladder part when the Lady Hawks took an 11-point lead, 38-27, after freebies by Eaton. USC-Upstate refused to give up as they scored the final five points in the half and trimmed Maryland Eastern Shore's advantage down to six, 38-32.
For the Spartans, Starling registered a double-double with a team-high 22 points and a game-high 10 boards. Kristen Dickerson, who scored 22 points against Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) foe Norfolk State, recorded five points after fighting foul trouble throughout the afternoon. Eventually, Dickerson fouled out early in the fourth quarter.
On Nov. 19, the Lady Hawks hit the road for the first time as they head to Beantown (Boston) to face Northeastern. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m.
For complete recaps, results and news of Hawk athletics, please visitwww.umeshawks.com .
