NORFOLK, Virginia — The University of Maryland Eastern Shore held Coppin State to just six points on 2-of-9 shooting during the decisive fourth quarter, and went on to a 62-50 victory in the first round of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament.
The No. 8 seed Hawks (9-21) will now face No. 1 seeded Bethune-Cookman, the MEAC regular season champion on Wednesday (March 11) at Noon.
"I thought our guards did a much better job defensively on the perimeter than the last time we played," Hawks coach Fred Batchelor said. "Any given night any kid can be in a position to hurt you. I thought we did a good enough job on the defensive end as well as in the second half offensively.
"We played a better second half than we did first half and we had some kids step up. I think you go with your guards particularly this time of year. They had a really good second half and made the difference in us being able to advance."
Freshman point guard Mya Thomas (Chesapeake, Virginia) playing in her home area, announced her presence in her first MEAC Tournament with a career-high 21 points to go with a pair of assists and two steals.
"Before the game, coach gave me some words of encouragement that kind of got me going," Thomas said.
Sophomore Brooklyn Bailey (Rock Hill, South Carolina) scored seven of her 11 points in the fourth quarter and also chipped in three assists and a steal in the Hawks' fourth straight win of the season.
"We had a rough beginning of the season, but in practice we came ready to go and it just prepared us for today's game and the past four games," Bailey said. "Coach B has done a great job."
"Brooklyn is a sophomore and we have expected a lot from her this year," Batchelor said. "We have put a lot on her and she is learning how to accept that role. Especially with a young backcourt, we are growing and learning as we go, but these kids deserve all the credit and they make it easy to do my job."
Eastern Shore trailed 32-26 after a tough stretch on the offense put it in a hole. The Shore actually got out fast to start the game, building a 13-7 lead on Makayla Adams' (Bowie, Maryland) jumper with 2:20 left in the first quarter.
But Coppin went on a 16-0 run taking a 23-13 lead midway through the second quarter. The Hawks would battle back, but still trailed by six at the break after a pair of Adrienne Jones (Baltimore, Maryland) free throws closed out the first half scoring.
"It is the time of year where the guards need to step up," Batchelor said. "I probably challenged them a little bit to attack at the half when I talked to them. I think we struggled initially with the 2-2-1 zone in the first half and I could tell form their faces that they understood what I was saying. I was challenging them to not be hesitant and to attack and then take over the game and they were able to do that."
Junior guard Amanda Carney (Old Bridge New Jersey) had another strong game for Eastern Shore as she put up 10 points — including a pair of 3-pointers — and also pulled down a team-high seven rebounds to go along with a solid defensive effort.
Bairesha Gill-Miles (Lexington, Kentucky) matched Carney's seven boards and chipped in three points, while Jones had nine points, six rebounds and three assists.
Wednesday's meeting between the Hawks and Wildcats will be the second of the season. BCU picked up a 62-53 win in Princess Anne, Maryland on Feb. 15. The two teams split last season with The Shore winning in Daytona, but Bethune picking up the victory in the MEAC Tournament semifinals.
Batchelor knows his team will need to continue to have people step up if they want the season to continue. That includes his young point guard.
"I expected Mya to have a big game today," Batchelor said. "I told her I expected her to have a big week and we are only on Tuesday. The thing about it is that you are only as good as your last game. She has a few hours to enjoy the day then she has to come back ready to play tomorrow against the best team in the league."
