Box Score

PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - The University of Maryland Eastern Shore men's basketball team was edged out in the final minutes by the Hampton Pirates on Saturday evening. With a 64-61 loss, UMES (13-12, 6-4) lost their second straight road game, their first instance of back-to-back losses since November.

The Hawks were hoping to bounce back after a disappointing loss at Howard in Washington, D.C. on Monday night. Unfortunately, Saturday's contest followed a similar script as a big first-half lead evaporated with a couple of runs by the Hawks' opponents. UMES came out of the gates firing with two three-pointers by freshman Ryan Andino. Senior Mike Myers set the tone early with several thunderous dunks as the Hawks built a 29-16 lead in the opening period. Hampton closed the gap with a 7-0 run over the final 2:09 of the first half, cutting the UMES lead to six points at intermission.

Hampton rushed in front with a 16-6 run to start the second half, taking their first lead of the game with 15:12 remaining. UMES battled back though, jumping back in front at 45-42 with a three-pointer by Devon Walker with 11:41 to go. However, the Hawks' offense stalled, going without a field goal for over eight minutes until Devin Martin's layup with just over two minutes to play. Hampton took advantage, climbing back on top with a 7-0 run.

Still, the game entered the final two minutes at a 58-58 deadlock, as close as possible. Hampton's Reginald Johnson converted a difficult three-point play through contact, putting the Pirates up 61-58. After trading buckets and free throws, UMES trailed by three with the basketball. A turnover gave Hampton a chance to seal the game, but Johnson missed two free throws to keep the Hawks' hopes alive. Without any timeouts and just six seconds left, Martin raced up the floor to hoist a potential game-tying three-pointer, kicking off the rim to end the night.

For the Hawks, Myers led the way with 18 points, doing damage at the foul line as usual (6-for-9). Two Pirates frontcourt players fouled out, though Hampton persevered through the disqualifications. Martin scored 13 points in his first game in two weeks having missed the last three contests due to a minor injury. Walker and Andino cracked double digits, while Dominique Elliott added nine points. Despite not scoring at all, Ishaq Pitt dished seven assists and ripped away three steals in an effective game for the point guard.

With the defeat, UMES has lost back-to-back games for the first time since November. The last instance was the two losses in Toledo on consecutive nights to Detroit and Bucknell on November 24 and 25. Since then, UMES had gone 17 games without two straight losses, producing a 12-5 record in that span. The Hawks stand at 6-4 in conference play, remaining in fourth place as South Carolina State and Delaware State both lost.

UMES has a quick turnaround before another game in the Tidewater area, visiting Norfolk State on Monday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. at Echols Hall following the conclusion of the women's basketball game. Hawk fans can listen live on the Hawks Radio Network, powered by SFMSports.net and Fox Sports 960 AM in Salisbury, Md.