NORFOLK, Va. - The University of Maryland Eastern Shore men's basketball team begins postseason play with a quarterfinal matchup against the Hampton Pirates on Thursday evening. UMES (18-13, 11-5) enters the MEAC Tournament as the 3-seed, facing the 6-seeded Pirates at the Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

UMES finished the regular season on a four-game winning streak, capped by an 89-76 victory in the home finale against the Morgan State Bears. The Hawks put on a dominating display on Senior Night with ten players on the scoresheet and five reaching double figures. Both big men, Mike Myers and Dominique Elliott, racked up double-doubles in the win last Thursday. With the victory, the Hawks strung together four straight wins for the first time since 2002.

Postseason play starts for UMES on the heels of an incredible turnaround under first-year head coach Bobby Collins. At 18 wins, UMES has won more games this season than the past three years combined. The Hawks' program has not won 18 or more games since the fabled 1973-74 season that ended with a MEAC Championship and NIT appearance. At 11-5 in conference play, UMES earned a first-round bye and a three seed in the MEAC Tournament, their best finish in the league since 1993-94. It is the first time the Hawks have received a bye in the conference tournament since the current format started in 1997.

In the first meeting between UMES and Hampton, the Pirates squeaked out a three-point win, 64-61. UMES built a 13-point lead in the first half, but it slipped away. Hampton, spurred on by the home crowd, battled back in the second half. Hawks guard Devin Martin missed a potential tying three-pointer just before the final buzzer. Hampton leads the all-time series, 36 to 21, including 12 straight victories over UMES. The Hawks have not defeated Hampton since February of 2008.

Hampton reached the quarterfinals courtesy of a 91-71 victory over the Morgan State Bears in the Opening Round on Monday night. The Pirates are led by guard Deron Powers and forward Dwight Meikle. Powers, a Third Team All-MEAC selection, averages 9.9 points per game. Meikle, who was not selected to all-conference honors, might require more attention down low. Meikle, like his counterpart Myers for UMES, leads his team in both scoring (13.0 points per game) and rebounding (7.5 rebounds per game). Meikle is also the Pirates' top defender at 1.5 blocks per game.

The Hawks exceeded expectations in the regular season, and now postseason success is the next stepping stone for the program. UMES has not won a postseason game since 2011, an 87-85 overtime victory against Florida A&M. The Hawks last reached the MEAC semifinals in 1993-94, and the final round in 1973-74. The '74 season is the Hawks' lone MEAC championship in men's basketball.

The winner will advance to the semifinals to play the 2-seed Norfolk State Spartans, scheduled for an 8:00 p.m. tip-off on Friday night. Norfolk State won their quarterfinal on Wednesday night over the South Carolina State Bulldogs, 68-54. Hawks fans can listen to every Hawks' postseason game on SFMSports.net and Fox Sports 960 AM in Salisbury, Md. Pregame coverage begins at 5:40 p.m. on Thursday evening ahead of the 6:00 p.m. tip-off at Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va.