WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senior Ra'Jean Martin (Jacksonville, Florida) scored a career-high 22 points including a career-high six 3-pointers as the University of Maryland Eastern Shore picked up an 80-73 victory at Howard's Burr Gymnasium on Monday (Jan. 28) to win their third straight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game.

"I was feeling comfortable," Martin said. "The last few games I hadn't been able to get my shots going. I knew I needed to step up. I even told CeCe (Ciani Byrom) before the game that this had to be a game where I made my shots. So I had to just relax myself and be comfortable and when I had my attempt just be ready."

Five of Martin's 3's came up clutch in the first half when the team shot just 26 percent and was struggling to find offense. The Hawks trailed 7-2 to open the game and Martin's first two from behind the arc came back-to-back and ignited an 8-0 Hawks run.

"Keke (Keyera Eaton) had a rough night," Hawks coach Fred Batchelor said. "She missed wide open shots early. Teams are focusing on stopping CeCe and she doesn't really force things. In the early part of the game, she may not take as many shots or make as many plays as we need her to. The focus on her gave us some open looks that we just didn't capitalize off of and thank God for Ra'Jean who the last game went 0-for-4 in the first half from three and we thought she took three too many. Today she hits five of six in the first half.

"If she doesn't make those shots it just makes it a lot tougher throughout the game. I thought her ability to knock down those shots gave us a little cushion and was real helpful in allowing us to feel like we were in control of the game."

The Hawks (11-10, 7-1 MEAC) weren't able to build a cushion early and there were a lot of whistles in the game, which hurt the flow.

The first two quarters were back-and-forth as the score was tied five times and there were five lead changes, but the Hawks entered the half with a 28-17 lead.

"I heard Mike Krzyzewski say something in an interview the other night when Duke had a tough game where they played great at the end," Batchelor said. "He said 'you can't play this game thinking about winning, you have to play knowing you are going to win.' It is a matter of knowing that you are going to do what it takes to win. Through those times when Howard was making their runs, I don't think it really bothered us much at all, because I think we believed  that we were going to win the basketball game."

In the second half, senior point guard Ciani Byrom Winston-Salem, North Carolina) did start to impose her will on the game more. Her nine points and three assists in the third quarter were a big part of The Shore entering the third quarter with a 55-47 lead. Byrom would finish the game with 17 points and seven assists.

Dominique Walker (Bel Air, Maryland) reached double digits in scoring for the fifth time in the last six games. She finished with 12 points (8-of-10 from the free throw line), eight rebounds and three steals in 28 minutes off the bench. Nine of Walker's points came in the fourth quarter including 7-of-8 from the line and she scored 11 in the second half.

Despite all the big plays, the Bison didn't want to go away. With 2:05 left on the clock sophomore Jayla Thornton brought her team within four (74-70) with a long two from the wing. But ever alert, The Hawks got the ball in quickly and Martin ended up with the ball on a drive to the basket. She was fouled hard by Howard's Sarah Edmond, and the it seemed as if things would escalate, but the Hawks simply pulled each other off to the side and huddled before Martin sunk both free throws for a six-point Eastern Shore lead.

"The goal was to win, so we knew we couldn't be disruptive when we were on the court," Martin said. "We just had to stay together and if they wanted to act out of character that was on them, but we knew we had to stand for something."

Just like every victory this season different players stepped up at key moments in the game. On this night it was junior Ksenia Popovich (Moscow, Russia) who played key minutes down the stretch. After a Bison turnover, the Hawks used up most of shot clock before Popovich calmly sank a 15 footer for a 78-70 lead. She had six points two rebounds and a block in the game.
"I always talk to these kids about spirit," Batchelor said. "Kay (Popovich) hadn't played a lot in the last couple of games and we've been singing the praises of Dom (Walker). I walked in the locker room — after she played nine minutes as a starter — and they are all celebrating and she is smiling and celebrating a win.

"I think when you have that approach and you wait for your opportunity, good things will happen."

After a pair of free throws by Keyera Eaton (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) to help ice the game, Howard made one and the Hawks had the ball with 40 second left. As the shot clock ran down Eaton's three was short, but fittingly Popovich grabbed the offensive board, went back up with it, Walker grabbed the miss and went back up and Popovich came away with another rebound to allow the Hawks to dribble out the rest of the clock.

The Shore will have the day off on Tuesday and return to practice at 6 a.m. Wednesday morning to begin preparation for Saturday's home matchup with South Carolina State.
"We just need to keep going hard," Martin said. "Right now we are 7-1 in the conference, so we just have to keep going hard, keep pushing each other, being competitive in practice and even outside of there — getting up shots in the gym with everybody just being ready when our names are called."