PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland — In the opening moments of the second half, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore men's basketball team was in full control of their homecoming game, but the Coppin State University Eagles mounted a comeback to steal a 58-55 win on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 16).

The Hawks (4-24, 2-11 MEAC) led the contest 39-24 with 18:10 left following a 3-pointer from Ryan Andino (Ft. Lauderdale, FL). The Eagles responded with a 10-0 run over the next three minutes and the momentum in the game shifted.

The pace of the game changed in the second half and it seemed to favor the visitors. The Eagles attacked the rim and were able to force the referees to call fouls. Coppin State shot 22 free throws in the second half alone, while Eastern Shore attempted just 13 for the entire game.

"In the second half, we didn't make shots and they got to the foul line to slow the game down," head coach Clifford Reed said. "They found a way to manufacture points besides just making shots."

For the second straight game, Maryland Eastern Shore held a 31-23 halftime lead. Unlike their last game, the Hawks were able to extend their lead after intermission. However, their opponent mounted a comeback to win.

With 9:52 left, the game was tied at 42. The lead went back and forth for the next six minutes. A shot from behind the arc by Dontae Caldwell (Santa Ana, CA) with 3:32 left made the score even at 50. The Eagles hit two free throws one minutes later and never surrendered the lead again.

Andino hit his fifth shot from long distance with five seconds left to make the score 57-55. After Coppin State split a pair from the stripe, Caldwell launched a 60-footer to try and tie the game but it came up short.

The Shore was led by Andino's game high 20 points as he was the only Hawk in double figures. Gabriel Gyamfi (Brampton, ON, Canada) was the next highest scorer with nine points.

Dejuan Clayton was the scoring leader for CSU as he had 17 points. Chad Andrews-Fulton recorded a double-double as he finished with 11 points and 13 rebounds.

The Hawks will not play again until Feb. 23 at Delaware State. Eastern Shore will finish the season with home games on March 4 and 7 against Morgan State and Delaware State.

For more information on Eastern Shore Athletics visit http://www.easternshorehawks.com/.