PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland — The University of Maryland Eastern Shore men's basketball team faces a quick turnaround, traveling to Halton Arena to face the 49ers of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte on Monday, November 14. The game is slated to tip off at 7 p.m.
The squad faced Bryn Athyn on Saturday, November 12 and will face George Washington University later in the week on Friday, November 18 as well.
"The biggest dynamic beyond just playing is the travel," head coach Jason Crafton said of the short turnaround. "We're going to have to be strategic with what we do, be smart with how much we put on their bodies in the practice we have tonight and the shootaround tomorrow … but we'll be ready to play."
Last Time Out
The Hawks gave the Homecoming crowd at The Hytche a big win on Saturday, topping the Bryn Athyn Lions 90-43.
UMES put their stamp on the game early, leading 29-9 through roughly 10 minutes. The Hawks did not surrender the lead and reached 90 points for the first time since December 8, 2021.
The tandem of Zion Styles and Chace Davis spearheaded the offensive effort. Styles put up 16 points with six rebounds, while Davis recorded 15 with a pair of boards and a pair of steals.
The Hawk bench stepped up, providing 45 of the team's 90 points. Troy Hupstead recorded his first double-digit game as a Hawk, scoring 12 points on a sharp 5-of-6 clip while hauling in seven rebounds.
Jojo Anderson was a sparkplug off the sideline, scoring 8 on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting night with three assists and two steals as well. Tuka Nugent tallied 10 points in the contest, while Dionte Johnson added six points, seven rebounds and four steals in his second career game.
"It was exciting to see what our bench was able to do last night, because we're definitely going to need the bodies when going against an upper-level team like UNC Charlotte," Crafton said.
Sizing Up the Niners
The UNC Charlotte men's basketball squad has seen significant improvements since Ron Sanchez took the helm in 2018.
In his first season, the Niners saw an 11-point improvement in scoring defense (68.7). The team followed that up in Sanchez's second year by winning 16 games, 10 of which were Conference-USA matchups. It was the first time the 49ers won 10 conference games in a single season since 2006.
The squad topped the prior regular-season win mark last year, reaching 17 victories, their highest mark since the 2013-14 campaign.
The Niners faced off against fellow-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference foe Coppin State to open their 2022-23 season. UNC Charlotte came out with a well-balanced victory, 82-59.
All but two Charlotte players scored in the win, and everyone who played at least two minutes was in the scoring column. Four Niners finished in double-digits, and six finished with at least 6 points.
Jackson Threadgill led the group, scoring a team-high 16 points and banging home four threes in the win. The Coppin offensive charge was led thoroughly by Sam Sessoms, who scored 24 of the team's 59 points and shot 10-of-15 from the floor.
A staple of UNC Charlotte's scheme lies in the Princeton offense, a strategy that prioritizes constant motion, back-door cuts and screens on and off the ball.
The History
Charlotte and UMES last met on December 20, 2021. The Niners left Halton Arena on that day with a 70-54 victory over the Hawks.
Last season's three-headed scoring attack of Zion Styles, Dom London and Kevon Voyles headlined the contest with all three guards scoring 10+ points. Styles posted a team-high 15 and hauled in six boards, while London and Voyles tallied 12 and 10, respectively.
The Hawks were outrebounded 44-35 and shot below 30 percent from the floor in the loss. Charlotte also got to the free throw line 22 times, making 18 of their shots from the stripe.
The only prior meeting between the two sides came on December 12, 2019. The 49ers took that contest by a final of 66-44.
UMES looks to carry their defensive and rebounding success from Saturday into Halton.
"Charlotte's a tough team, we have a lot of respect for Coach Sanchez and what he's built here," Crafton said. "If we can execute our defense against a really good Princeton offense and rebound the basketball, that's going to give us a chance."
Monday's contest will be streamed on ESPN+. To log in and view, visit https://plus.espn.com/#schedule.
