PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland — The University of Maryland Eastern Shore got 18 points from the bench during a decisive fourth quarter Monday (Jan. 13) including 10 from freshman point guard Mya Thomas (Chesapeake, Virginia) as it went on to a 65-63 victory against visiting North Carolina Central.

"I thought the play of Mya along with a lot of other kids off the bench was really important," Hawks coach Fred Batchelor said. "That bench play was huge for us and we outscored their reserves 36-17. To me, that is what won the basketball game for us."

The Hawks trailed 40-35 at the half, but buckled down in the second half forcing 14 Eagles turnovers and holding NCCU to 25% from the field after the break.

"I thought our second half defense did a much better job of defending the paint," Batchelor said. "We had given up 26 points in the paint out of 40 points in the first half. I thought we knuckled down in the paint and made them shoot from the perimeter, which we really wanted to begin with. We were able to capitalize and we were not giving up second shots."

The third quarter grinded away with the Hawks (4-12, 1-2 MEAC) cutting the Eagles advantage to 45-42 by the end. The two teams combined for just 12 points as The Shore outscored Central 7-5 behind a swarming defensive effort.

It was late in that third that Eastern Shore made a change to a 2-3 trap which helped them take control of the style of the game.

"Coach (Casey) Morton made a great call with trapping in a 2-3," Batchelor said. "I thought it changed the game and I thought it dictated the tempo. It's something we have been working on."

Thomas played the final four minutes of that third quarter and returned to the court to begin the fourth. Her first bucket of the night came with 8:52 to go and cut the NCCU lead to 47-44.

A layup by Bairesha Gill-Miles (Lexington, Kentucky) chopped the Eagles lead to one, but they got an answer from senior Paulina Afriyie who led all scorers with 16 points.

Thomas drained a 3-pointer to knot the score at 49-49 and then picked up a steal and found Adrienne Jones (Baltimore, Maryland) for a layup and a 51-49 lead.

A steal by Amanda Carney (Old Bridge, New Jersey) led to another Jones layup and a pair of free throws by Carney pushed the Hawks lead to 55-49. A steal by Brooklyn Bailey (Rock Hill, South Carolina) led to a layup by Thomas. The Eagles answered but Carney found Bailey in the corner for a long two and a 59-51 lead.

North Carolina Central (4-12, 1-2 MEAC) refused to go away that easily and they cut the lead to 59-55 before Thomas took charge again with the ball out high, she ran the clock down, went left with a crossover split a pair of defenders and hit a floater in the lane among the trees for a 61-55 lead and sent the bench to a frenzy. She may have even cracked a smile.

"It was a big change from high school," Thomas said. "I'm starting to get adjusted and feel comfortable with it. I'm starting to have more fun. In high school, it was easy and out here you have to work and in practice you have to work and the players are bigger, faster and stronger. It's a big jump."

The Hawks maintained the lead over the final 53 seconds by getting the ball inbounds against pressure and forcing the Eagles to foul. Jones, Bailey and Thomas hit free throws down the stretch with Thomas — the shortest player on the floor — also corralling a rebound on a missed NCCU 3-pointer with 14 seconds left.

"We all came together as a team and played good down the stretch like we practiced," Thomas said. "In practice, we worked on playing against the trap, so it was easier in the game. We practiced it all week."

Thomas' big quarter came just two days after she played her most minutes of the season in a blowout loss to North Carolina A&T State. After that game, Batchelor saw her comfort level increasing. Sometimes it takes freshman a while to turn the corner, but she may have arrived on Monday.

"I think the biggest thing for her is her confidence," Batchelor said. "It's tough for a freshman when you are not playing and not getting the type of feedback from your coaches that you are used to. As a First-Team All-State kid, All-Tidewater kid, it's kind of tough to go back to being a freshman and start everything all over again. Through that process, you lose some things and I thought she lost some of her confidence. But today she showed what she was made out of and I think she gives us someone we can depend on for the rest of the year."

Thomas finished with 10 points, a rebound three assists and a steal. Gill-Miles led the Hawks with 15 points (on 7-of-8 shooting), four rebounds two assists and a steal.

"I challenged (Gill-Miles) because their post players were killing us in the first half,"Batchelor said. "I thought she did a really good job in the second half capitalizing on the way their defense was playing us in guarding the perimeter.

She also played tough on the defensive end inside in the second half along with Chioma Nkpuechina (Anambra, Nigeria) and Ksenia Popovich (Moscow, Russia) and Taylor Clayborne (Upper Marlboro, Maryland).

Bailey added 14 points, four rebounds four assists and a steal. Jones had nine off the bench and Carney finished with eight.

The Hawks will next travel to Norfolk State for a Saturday (Jan. 18) matchup at 2 p.m. Then it's on to South Carolina State Jan. 20 at 5:30.