PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland — The University of Maryland Eastern Shore competed with two-time defending Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Champion Bethune-Cookman on Saturday (Feb. 15) at home only to fall because of what has been the team Achilles heel this season — lack of offensive production.
The Hawks scored just eight points in the third quarter and were outscored by Wildcat junior forward Amaya Scott who put up 15 points in the third quarter to the Hawks eight.
"I talked to the kids about this and I'm a football fan," Hawks coach Fred Batchelor said. "A lot of your defense is predicated on your offense. If your offense moves the ball, your defense is stronger. If your offense scores or produces it puts less stress on your defense. That is what we struggled to do and a big time player stepped up to capitalize."
Eastern Shore (5-18, 2-8 MEAC) will again attempt to shake their offensive woes on Monday (Feb. 17) when they face off with visiting Florida A&M. The Rattlers are officially in last place in the conference standings, but only by virtue of their ineligibility for the postseason.
The Rattlers (4-19, 2-10 MEAC) are led by freshman guard Alaina Rice 10.9 points, 5.9 rebounds per game — who also paces the team in assists (2.4) and steals (1.8). Shalundu Burney-Robinson, a 6-foot-4 graduate student lead the team in rebounding with 8.1 rebounds per game is second in scoring with 9.9 points per game and is coming off a 26-rebound 24-point performance in a loss at Delaware State on Saturday.
There are just seven games remaining before the MEAC Tournament and must continue to search for the offensive consistency that will result in winning basketball.
"We have got to get focused," Batchelor said. "The one thing I told them in the locker room after the game was: That was the best team in the league record-wise that we lost to because of one bad quarter. Right now, I'm coaching for March. We are focused on Florida A&M coming in here on Monday because you need some momentum. But I walk away from a game where we faced the team with the best record in the conference and lost to them because of one quarter, then we are looking forward to continuing to improve to get ready for the postseason."
