CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia — Despite a valiant defensive effort, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore men's basketball team fell to fifth-ranked Virginia on the road on Friday, November 25.
A slow start to the contest plagued the Hawks, falling behind 20-4 with 10:57 to play in the first. With the size matchup favoring Virginia, UMES found themselves in some difficult spots early.
"We lost the game due to a poor first four minutes and overall poor execution on offense," Crafton said. "A lot of that had to do with their size and the multiple guys we had in foul trouble. That created some tough lineups for us offensively, but we must execute better and stay out of foul trouble to ever beat a team of that caliber."
Virginia posted 40 points in the first half, heading to intermission with a 40-22 advantage, but the Hawks forced an offensive adjustment from the Cavaliers. The Virginia team that shot nearly 47 percent from range through four games was held to just two made threes in the first half.
"We executed our defensive game plan incredible well by eliminating their top guards and their three-point attack," head coach Jason Crafton said. "To hold UVA, a team that averages 46 percent from three and has made 10+ threes on several occasions already this year, to five made threes on 33 percent is an incredible job."
The Hawks showed some grit in the second half, holding the Cavaliers to just 23 points through 18 minutes in the period. UMES narrowed the rebounding battle as well, trailing 18-17 in the category and 33-29 in the game as a whole.
Jayden Gardner was the main offensive force for Virginia, finishing with 26 points and three rebounds. With the Hawks committing to take away the three-point barrage, the squad knew they could be vulnerable to attack in other places.
"Gardner was a tough matchup for us and he really attacked our forwards. His 26 points, most of them in the paint, were huge for them," Crafton said. "But we knew we'd have to give up something in order to shut down their threes, so we chose not to double team him."
Zion Styles led the scoring effort for the Hawks, posting 11 points as well as four rebounds and a steal in the loss. Nathaniel Pollard Jr. was close behind with nine points and six boards, while Ahamadou Fofana tallied eight on the night.
Chace Davis finished with five points and a pair of rebounds, while Da'Shawn Phillip rounded out the starting five with four points, five boards and two assists to go with a block and a steal.
Off the bench, Tuka Nugent helped clean the glass, gathering six rebounds to go with a trio of points. Kohen Thompson scored three with two boards and Jojo Anderson nabbed two steals with a pair of rebounds in the game.
The Hawks return to Princess Anne as they prepare to host Lehigh on Wednesday, November 30 for Student Organization Night at the Hytche. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
