PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland — The University of Maryland Eastern Shore will open Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play on Saturday (Jan. 4) with a home contest against Howard University (8-5).
The Hawks (3-10) won both of the matchup last season (and four straight overall), but the two teams fortunes have changed from a personnel standpoint in just one year. The Hawks lost four seniors and 63% of the team's offense.
"I think it is more about us finding where we fit in this rivalry at this point," Hawks coach Fred Batchelor said. "Coach (Sidney) Raikes said something today that really struck me. He said 'Last year we were them' and he's right. We had a senior backcourt with a bunch of seniors playing and we kind of played like it against them.
"And now they are seniors and that is going to be the challenge for us. They start three seniors a sophomore and a junior, so they are a team that knows what they want to do and they are off to a great start."
The Bison are led by senior guards Sarah Edmond and Ayonna Williams along with classmate and forward/center Imani Bryant.
Edmond leads the team in assists (4.0) and scoring at 14.5 points (2nd MEAC) per game followed close behind by the team's top reserve in junior Jayla Thornton (13.6 ppg). Williams is next at 12.4 per game to round out the three Bison in double digits.
Thornton leads the MEAC in made 3-pointers with 41 (3.2 per game), while Bryant is averaging 4.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. Sophomore Krislyn Marsh averages a team-best 6.6 boards.
"They are scoring more than 68 points a game," Batchelor said. "There is a 15-point differential between us. That's a lot, but when I look at what we are giving up its less than they are averaging. My concern is not holding them, but being able to score with them. We have not displayed — based on our field goal percentage (.341), our 3-point percentage (.283) and our free throw percentage (.579) — the ability to score at rate against really good scoring teams. Even though when we have played good scoring teams we have defended them well, but we didn't score. Our hands are going to be full trying to make up the differential."
Batchleor said the team's biggest concerns will be putting the ball in the basket, limiting the Bison to one shot and taking away their high-percentage shots.
The Hawks are being led by junior Amanda Carney (Old Bridge, New Jersey) with 11.7 points per game and 5.0 rebounds. Sophomore Brooklyn Bailey (Rock Hill, South Carolina) is putting up 9.7 points and 2.2 assists.
Junior Porsha Sydnor (Chicago, Illinois) is averaging 6.0 points, 4.5 assists and has a MEAC-best 1.6 assist-turnover ratio.
