GREENSBORO, North Carolina — The University of Maryland Eastern Shore is back on the road Sunday for a 4 p.m. tilt at UNC Greensboro, five days removed from a 15-point loss at No. 20 (AP) Syracuse.
The Hawks (1-3) showed improvement in that contest against an Atlantic Coast Conference power, but with a young roster — and an unpredictable opponent in the Spartans (1-2) who's lone win came against Wake Forest — head coach Fred Batchelor will be hoping to continue that upward trend.
UNCG boasts and impact player in senior guard Nadine Solimon who leads the team in scoring (19.3) and rebounding (8.3). She has 1,617 points in her Spartans career and has scored 20 or more points 22 times.
"She's very, very tough," Batchelor said. "She's averaging almost a double-double, shoots the ball deep and is a really good player. I think they understand who they are working with."
Her classmate, Te'ja Twitty is averaging 11.3 points and a pair of assists a game. Redshirt junior forward Aja Boyd is added 10.7 points and 8.0 rebounds a game.
"The post players are very active and they have three kids averaging double figures," Batchelor said. "They are kind of a complex team in that their only win is against an ACC opponent. They had two losses and the last one they didn't play great and had 25 turnovers. They are at home so you can expect their best game. We have to play our best game."
Junior Amanda Carney (Parlin, New Jersey) leads The Shore in scoring (11.3) and rebounding (5.7) despite being the sixth man.
Senior guard Adrienne Jones (Baltimore, Maryland) is averaging 9.0 points a game and is coming off a nine-rebound game at 'Cuse. Junior forward Bairesha Gill-Miles (Lexington, Kentucky) is averaging 8.3 points and 4.3 rebounds a game.
"I think this is more about us than about them," Batchelor said. "We need stick to our principles, be discipled with the basketball, take care of the basketball, compete on the glass and make some shots. If we do that we have a chance to steal a game on the road."
Freshman forward Makayla Adams (Bowie, Maryland) showed strides last game with 11 points and someone else could step up in any given game.
"I think we are starting to learn how we need to play," Batchelor said. "It's kind of like taking medicine each time out. We are young and it's challenging to get the kids to understand that we need to play at a certain pace and do certain things to be successful. It's not knocking their individual abilities to be able to play."
The Hawks are averaging 18 turnovers per game and that is the number they hit last time out. They controlled the pace in New York and when they ran the offense correctly and controlled the results were good.
"But as I watch teams when we scout them and seeing how when the kids are left to play there are not a whole lot of good results as opposed to doing the things they practice every day come game time," Batchelor said. "There is a reason we practice those things every day. I think there is a huge challenge for coaches to get kids to be a little robotic, but also have a feel for the game. There is a little bit of a fight because they can show what they can do and I want them to do what I am telling them to do.
"I think that is where we are. I think if this team really understands that, then we can be a very good team. But if we are left to our own devices we'll win some games and we'll lose more."
Batchelor said it begins and ends with the point guard play. Junior Porsha Sydnor (Chicago, Illinois) had four points and seven assists in more than 30 minutes running the offense against the Orange.
"I thought Porsha played a great floor game up at Syracuse," Batchelor said. "She didn't think she played great because I don't think they understand what playing great is. They gauge it off individual plays, making individual plays and stats. At the end of the day, it's really about being able to control the tempo. If you have someone who can do that against a Top 25 team, then there is no reason we can't continue that pace and take it into league play."
The Hawks will next travel to Virginia Tech for a 6:30 p.m. matchup on Tuesday Nov. 19.
