PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland — The University of Maryland Eastern Shore men's basketball team finished its 2022 home slate undefeated on Saturday evening, logging a 95-55 win over Clarks Summit.
The Hawks last 4-0 home record prior to the New Year came 26 years ago to the day, when the Lonnie Williams-led squad beat Lincoln 97-92 on December 17, 1996.
"We're super excited about coming out of finals and being able to win this basketball game," head coach Jason Crafton said. "We've taken a lot of pride this year in defending our home court … we're excited about being undefeated at home and we want to continue that heading into conference play."
It was a collective effort put forth by UMES, with all 13 Hawks in the scoring column in the contest. Five Hawks ended the evening in double-digit figures, with Kevon Voyles posting a team-high 15 points.
Nathaniel Pollard Jr. logged his first double-double of the season and the third of his Hawk career, finishing with 13 points and 13 rebounds, eight of which were offensive boards. Pollard also added trios of assists and steals on the night.
Zion Styles finished with 13 points and swiped four possessions from the Defenders, leading UMES and tying his career-high. Chace Davis finished with 12 points, his fourth double-digit effort of the season, and three made three-pointers.
Dionte Johnson poured in 10 points, a new career-high for the freshman guard. Da'Shawn Phillip wrapped his night with seven points for the Hawks.
Toby Nnadozie played some important minutes off the bench, adding four points and tallying three assists for the first time as a Hawk.
UMES nabbed 18 steals on the night, a new high mark for the team that swiped 14 passes against Duke last time out. The Hawks also sank 12 threes on the evening, their highest total of the year.
"Our focus was in the right place. I think physically and mentally we are a little drained, both from finals and from playing some of the elite programs we've played," Crafton said. "We have a big off day tomorrow to help these guys recover a little bit."
Following that rest day, the Hawks head to the City of Brotherly Love to face Temple University on Tuesday, December 20.
"We're excited to go play against Temple," Crafton said. "We played them last year so it's a familiar opponent, but we're also really hungry to get a road win. The focus for us is to develop some road toughness and do the things we've done in the past."
The duel with the Owls is slated to begin at 7 p.m. and will be streamed live on ESPN+.
