BALTIMORE, Maryland — The University of Maryland Eastern Shore started Saturday's contest at Coppin State cold from the field and unfortunately finished it the same way on the way to an 86-57 loss.

"We got our butts whipped," Hawks coach Fred Batchelor said. "I thought Coppin played really well. They were definitely the better team at every position. We have got to play better against teams like this or you are going to get embarrassed and that is what happened. Coppin showed how much they improved and how much better they are than they were prior to COVID and they'll be a tough team to play going forward."

The Hawks (5-11, 1-3 MEAC) started the game with four straight misses and a turnover before Mya Thomas (Chesapeake, Virginia) banked in a three. It was five misses and two turnovers later that The Shore got on the board again.

Eastern Shore trailed 20-9 after the first quarter and the Eagles (9-9, 3-2 MEAC) pushed that advantage to 48-29 by the half.

After the break, the Hawks briefly looked like a different team. They played with renewed energy and took advantage of some Coppin missteps to chip away at the lead. The lead was 11 after just three minutes, but that was the hurdle The Shore couldn't clear.

They would cut it to 11 three more times with the last coming (57-46) on Arian Seawell (Bronx, New York) free throws with 48 ticks left in the third.

"I think it helped that they missed some shots," Batchelor said. "They had a 20-point lead so there was a little lull. They come out up 20 and you catch them when they aren't ready to go like they were when they start the game. We had opportunities and we didn't capitalize. It was like the story of the whole game. We didn't make the plays when we had to make them."

Thomas led the Hawks with 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting, but didn't score after a jumper with 1:33 left in the third. Seawell, Mahogany Lester (Virginia Beach, Virginia) and Asia Pearly (Greensboro, North Carolina) each added eight.

Lester and Brooklyn Bailey (Rock Hill, South Carolina) led on the glass with five boards apiece.

The Hawks shot 25% in the first quarter, 17% in the fourth and 31% for the game. They were outrebounded 48-38

"We are struggling to find somebody to make the plays that we need when we need them the most and that is really what it is," Batchelor said. "If we are not on the same page and really connected we are going to struggle because we don't have an answer."

Eastern Shore will next return home for a Monday (Jan. 31) matchup with Morgan State at 5:30 p.m.