PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland — Graduate Student Bairesha Gill-Miles (Lexington, Kentucky) and senior Brooklyn Bailey (Rock Hill, South Carolina) combined for 27 of the team's 35 points in the second half as the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (1-1) topped Division II Claflin University 73-57 during Homecoming.

"We found a way to pull it out," Hawks coach Fred Batchelor said. "I liked the fact that we got out to a good start and that we shot the ball really well early from the free throw line and took advantage of that. But it is one of those games where you create so many opportunities and if you don't take advantage of them at some point in time they catch up to you. It's like playing football when you get nothing but field goals when you are in the red zone."

The Shore made 6-of-7 free throws to start the game before they made a field goal and eventually pushed out to an 11-point lead on a layup by Gill-Miles with just over a minute left in the first quarter. That lead was pushed to 13 points with 4:47 left in the second quarter on a put back by Mahogany Lester (Virginia Beach, Virginia), but the Panthers clawed their way back.

Claflin went on a 14-3 run that cut the Eastern Shore lead to 35-33 at the half.

"I thought what we did to set the tempo, they were able to work through it and it didn't cost them anything," Batchelor said. "I thought they found a way to settle in. They played some junk defenses which I thought threw us off a little bit and made kids make their shots and make their way. We had told our kids that is what we expected to see."

Those defenses forced the Hawks to try and run a more free offense where they struggled to create and make plays and the right decisions without the structure of the offense.

In the third quarter, the Hawks pulled away again pushing the lead out to 51-41 with one quarter to go. But the fourth quarter turned out to be Brooklyn time as she scored 13 points.

"At the end we found a way," Batchelor said. "At some point we had to get to where they would play us straight up and when they did that, I thought we fully took advantage of that in how we executed with Brooklyn down the stretch and knocking down shots."

Bailey finished the game with a team-high 18 points and added six rebounds, three assists and five steals. Gill-Miles score 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Sophomore Zamara Haynes (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) chipped in eight points and Amanda Carney (Old Bridge, New Jersey) grabbed seven boards. Lester had eight rebounds and six points.

"I thought getting 20 offensive rebounds was good," Batchelor said. "Mahogany had four with her energy and Brooklyn has three offensive rebounds and Bunz (Gill-Miles) had three. I thought there was a point in the game where all we had was Mahogany going to the offensive glass."

The Hawks will next host Division III Bryn Athyn on Tuesday (Nov. 16) at 6 p.m.