PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland — The University of Maryland Eastern Shore got off to a fast start on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 29), but they were not able to sustain their momentum as the Delaware State University Hornets bounced back and took home an 84-63 win.

"We got some stops defensively in the first part of the game and that allowed us to get in transition," Hawks coach Jason Crafton said. "But we stopped defending and playing with toughness and once that happened they began press us and we didn't respond."

Six minutes into the game, the Hawks (5-24, 4-10 MEAC) held a 15-5 lead. That advantage was quickly diminished as the Hornets went on an 8-0 run over the next two minutes to get within two at 15-13.

The next five minutes of action saw the lead change hands five times. With 7:40 on the clock, the Hornets took a 23-22 lead and would be ahead for the remainder of the contest. The visitors were up 42-34 at halftime.

In the second half, Eastern Shore was never able to get a run together to put a real threat to the Delaware State lead. A pair of free throws from freshman Bruce Guy (Cordova, Tennessee) brought the score to 51-43 with 13:52 left. That was the last time the squad got within single digits as DSU would regain control and get their lead as high as 23 points.

Senior AJ Cheeseman (Snellville, Georgia) scored in double figures for the eighth straight game as he had 19 points. He was the lone Hawk in double figures in scoring. Freshman Da'Shawn Phillip (Baltimore, Maryland) had a strong defensive game finishing with seven rebounds, three blocks and three steals to go along with six points.

DSU's John Crosby is the MEAC's top scorer, but he was held to just eight points. However, five other members of the team had double figures led by Pinky Wiley's 19 points.

"We came in saying that if we limit Crosby, rebound the basketball and make free throws, it would give us a great chance to win," Crafton said. "We did that for the most part, but they did an unbelievable job of other guys stepping up and their guys came in ready to play."

Maryland Eastern Shore faces Howard on Monday night (March 2) in their final road game of the regular season. They conclude the regular season on March 5 at home against Coppin State.