DOVER, Delaware — The University of Maryland Eastern Shore men's basketball team closed their contest versus the Delaware State University Hornets on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 23) with a 15-1 run to defeat their Route 13 rivals 62-56.
"I am just elated that the guys understand that their hard work will pay off if they never quit," head coach Clifford Reed said. "If they continue to persevere like they have, they will surprise themselves at how many more games they can win like this."
Saturday's game featured 10 ties and 12 lead changes. Neither team held a lead that was larger than eight points the entire game.
The Hawks (5-24, 3-11 MEAC) trailed at halftime 28-24. Juniors Ahmad Frost (Cincinnati, OH) and AJ Cheeseman (Snellville, GA) came in off the bench in the first 20 minutes to keep Eastern Shore in the contest as they combined for 14 in the first half.
Eastern Shore opened the second half with a 10-2 run in the first four minutes to take a 34-30 advantage. Redshirt junior Isaac Taylor (Wachapreague, VA) scored four of those points and it was a sign of things to come for Maryland Eastern Shore in the half. Taylor scored 14 points after coming out of the locker room for the second half.
"The coaching staff really challenged him (Taylor) in the locker room and he came out and responded," Reed said. "We told him to just play with confidence and he did that and carried us for a while."
Delaware State seemed to have gained control with 7:15 left after they hit their fifth consecutive 3-pointer to take a 55-47 lead. However, the Hornets would only score one point for the remainder of the contest.
The Shore went on a 9-0 run as a left handed tip-in by Taylor gave them a 56-55 lead with 2:22 left. The Hornets tied it up a minute later, but Canaan Bartley (Miami, FL) would close the door on Delaware State from that point on.
After two Bartley free throws with 1:04 remaining, the Hawks forced a turnover. Bartley stayed aggressive on the next possession but had his shot blocked out of bounds with five seconds on the shot clock.
Following a timeout, The Shore went to Taylor and he was unable to finish but Bartley swooped in to tip the ball back in and give the Hawks a 60-56 lead. A missed shot from behind the arc from DSU ended up in Bartley's hands and two more from the charity stripe sealed a Hawks victory. The sophomore guard scored the final six points of the game.
"This win helps us a lot as we get ready for the MEAC tournament," Bartley said. "Games like this will give us momentum and all the confidence in the world as we close out the season."
Taylor led the Hawks with the best game of his career as he finished with career highs in points and rebounds. He logged 18 points and nine rebounds in the contest. Frost had 11 points off the bench for Maryland Eastern Shore.
Bartley finished with 10 points and six rebounds. Junior Gabriel Gyamfi (Brampton, ON, Canada) had just three points but had a game high 11 rebounds.
The Hornets were led by Saleik Edwards' 23 points and 19 points from Kevin Larkin. The two combined for all but 14 of the Delaware State points in the game.
Eastern Shore will not play again for nine days. The next time the Hawks will suit up against an opponent will be on March 4 against Morgan State in the William P. Hytche Athletic Center.
For more information on Eastern Shore Athletics visit http://www.easternshorehawks.com/.
