PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland — The University of Maryland Eastern Shore saw its seven-game winning streak come to an end at North Carolina A&T State on Monday (Feb. 11), but in the grand scheme of things it could just be a minor setback in a special season for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference No. 2 Hawks.

That is depending of course on how the team responds starting with a 2 p.m. Homecoming matchup on Saturday (Feb. 16) against Coppin State.

"I want to see us be more determined, more focused," Hawks head coach Fred Batchelor said. "It's not that we haven't been, but coming off a loss, I think you want to see that your team has gotten better. Even though prior to that we had played some really good basketball, the fact that we fell short means we have to play better basketball."

Batchelor knows his team's veterans were on a mission and the rest of the squad is following their lead. So, when they take the court against the Eagles (2-21, 2-9 MEAC) Saturday he expects no drop off. And the pressure of playing on homecoming shouldn't be a problem for a team who has been the one to watch on campus all winter long.

"They seem to really be focused on providing a service to the institution. That is one of the things we talk about a lot — that this isn't your homecoming," Batchelor said. "You have a job to do.

"This morning we talked about them being the main attraction Saturday. They all went to the concert Thursday night and the main attraction didn't show up. So how did that feel? We don't want to make people feel like that, because we didn't show up and do what we were supposed to."

Following the loss to the Aggies, Batchelor told a dejected group in the locker room that what they experienced would make them a better team. That's something he said about the team's early-season non-conference battles against power five opponents. He believed it then and he believes it now.

"I think first it starts with me and my staff," Batchelor said. "I think that we have challenged ourselves to be better. I know I am better because of that. (A&T) Coach (Terrell) Robinson shook my hand and told me 'keep working' and I am going to use that motivation into the next time we play them — knowing that I have worked even harder and more to do exactly what I was told  to do after I congratulated him on the win.

"We are going to keep working and I don't take any other way than motivation. I have been motivated and I hope to motivate my kids to play at a championship level. I think that has been the difference between us and the team we lost to on Monday. We didn't play at a championship level. We have some work to do to get there, so I thank coach Robinson for that message."

The Hawks (14-11, 10-2 MEAC) dropped last season's lone matchup with Coppin on the road.

In that game, then sophomore Eagles center Change Graham had a career night with 21 points and 20 boards.

"The thing about her is that she is a little unique as a post player," Batchelor said. "She is not what we have been used to as far as the bigger girls and the big girls haven't really hurt us as  much as a player like her can. She is athletic. She's quick. She's wiry and she is averaging a really solid double-double (15.7 points, 11.9 rebounds). I think we are going to have our hands full, but we are going to defend her as a team and I think our kids are up for the challenge."

Eastern Shore got into early foul trouble in the matchup last season and were plagues by foul on Monday against the Aggies when four players fouled out.

"We talked a lot about the fact that maybe two fouls of the five were questionable calls that could have gone either way banging in the post," Batchelor said. "That happens, but there were three others fouls of the five we made that were not the most intelligent. We talked about strategically how we need to play better in the post and decision making and discipline. That's what I mean about that game making us better. If we win that game, I don't know if we focus like we did the last couple day in practice on those things that hurt us."

Senior transfer Brooke Fields leads the Eagles in scoring with 17.6 points per game and assists (3.4) in 36.8 minutes a game.

Sophomore Bairesha Gill-Miles (Lexington, Kentucky) leads the Hawks in rebounding with 7.7 per game, while senior point guard Ciani Byrom (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) leads the team in scoring with 15.6 points per game. She is currently is No. 7 on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,117 points.

Senior Keyera Eaton (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) is second on the team in scoring with 10.5 points per game and classmate is averaging 11.4 points and 3.9 rebounds since MEAC play began.