PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland — The University of Maryland Eastern Shore men's basketball team heads to New York City on Wednesday, December 28 for a date with the Columbia University Lions. Tip is slated for 4 p.m. from Levien Gymnasium.
The Hawks (5-7) and Lions (5-9) each enter the contest following their first road victories of the season. Columbia knocked off Lafayette on December 12 by a 57-45 line, while UMES stunned Temple in their last action on December 20, 86-78.
Checking on the Hawks
Several Hawks starred in what may very well be the most impressive win for UMES basketball in recent memory.
Da'Shawn Phillip notched a career-high 18 points in the win, burying 70 percent of his shots from the floor. Nathaniel Pollard Jr. recorded his second double-double in as many games, dropping 14 points while cleaning the glass 10 times. Pollard also logged five assists in the effort, tying his single-game best.
The UMES bench stepped up in the win as well. Tuka Nugent turned in one of his best efforts of the season, scoring 13 points and making two threes in 16 minutes of action. Jojo Anderson tied his career-best with six assists as a reserve, the highest single-game assist total for any Hawk this season.
"Our bench play has been encouraging," head coach Jason Crafton said. "We are going to need all hands on deck as we get back to playing after returning from break."
Kevon Voyles and Chace Davis finished in double-digits, each with 11 points. Ahamadou Fofana tallied a team-high four steals.
As a team, UMES nabbed double-digit steals for the third consecutive game (10). The Hawks are now ranked 19th in the nation in steals-per-game at 9.9. The team also dished out 20 assists for the first time this season.
Scouting the Lions
Columbia has taken strides thus far in the 2022-23 campaign. The Lions' victory over Lafayette was their fifth of the campaign, already topping their win total from last year.
The hosts began the year with a three-game skid, dropping games to Rutgers, UMass-Lowell and Sacred Heart. The Lions responded with a 70-65 victory over Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opponent Delaware State on November 16.
After a loss to Maine and a win over SUNY Maritime, Columbia again dropped three straight. The third of these was a 52-39 defeat at Marist, a team UMES knocked off at the Hytche earlier this season.
The Lions claimed their next two games before dropping another pair of contests. The win against Lafayette snapped the two-game slide.
"Columbia is a young and talented team," Crafton said. "This is a great post-Christmas test for both teams."
Columbia and UMES have faced three times over the years, most recently on January 6, 2016. The Lions won that matchup, 81-75. The teams were scheduled to play last season, but the contest was canceled.
Columbia holds a 9-0 record all-time against the conference, with the matchup against UMES serving as the Lions' second meeting with a MEAC school this season.
Wednesday's contest will be available to watch on ESPN+ beginning at 4 PM. To watch, visit https://plus.espn.com/#schedule.
