PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland — After three straight road contests, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore men's basketball team returns to the Hytche to face Clarks Summit University on Saturday, December 17 at 4 p.m.
The Hawks (3-7) welcome in the Defenders (1-8) for the final home contest before the new year. UMES will travel to face Temple and Columbia before the calendar flips to 2023.
"After a long week of finals, we're looking forward to getting back to playing," head coach Jason Crafton said.
About the Hawks
Despite the loss, the Hawks showed some positives in their matchup with Duke University last Saturday (December 10).
UMES nabbed 14 steals against the Blue Devils, tying the season-high set on Homecoming against Bryn Athyn on November 12. The 16 assists accumulated by the Hawks was the second-most of the season as well.
Kevon Voyles tallied five steals in the contest, setting a new career-high. Ahamadou Fofana collected five assists for the first time as a Hawk at Durham.
Troy Hupstead logged nearly 20 minutes on the floor, his most of the season. Hupstead tied his career-high in field goals (5) and points (12) while making multiple threes for the first time as a Hawk.
Zion Styles leads the team in scoring, averaging just over 11 points through the first 10 games while ranking second on the team with 3.7 rebounds per contest. Da'Shawn Phillip sits just behind Styles scoring just under 10 points per game.
Nathaniel Pollard Jr. remains the team's leading rebounder, pulling in 6.6 boards per game and averaging 7.5 points. Ahamadou Fofana leads the team in both assists (24) and steals (14) as the point man.
Scouting the Defenders
The Clarks Summit men's basketball team enters at 1-8 on the season, with their lone victory coming over King's College on November 21. That November duel saw the Defenders' best shooting performance of the season, hitting at a 57 percent clip from the floor.
The Defenders average 67.6 points per game while allowing nearly 84 to their opponents. Clarks Summit hauls in 33.3 rebounds per game, while their opponents bring down 39.7.
Sophomore guard Ashton West leads the Defenders in scoring, dropping 16.2 points per game. West has reached double-digit figures in seven of the last eight games while leading the team in steals with 26 on the season.
Junior forward Hunter Plantz averages a team-best 6.2 rebounds per game while adding just over six points on average. Sophomore guard Latief Mustafaa leads the group with 22 assists through nine games.
"We've got specific areas we need to improve on offensively while continuing to build our defense back to an elite level," Crafton said. "That's our focus."
