LYNCHBURG, Virginia — Second half improvements were not enough for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore men's basketball team as they fell to Liberty University 79-59 on Friday, December 2.

The Hawks (3-5) got out to a solid start to the contest, with Ahamadou Fofana scoring the first points of the contest less than 30 seconds in. With 16:18 remaining in the first half, UMES held an 8-3 lead.

The Flames (5-3) responded with a 13-0 run over the next handful of minutes to lead 16-8. UMES sliced the lead back to four with 10:35 to go, but that was the closest it would get as Liberty controlled the remainder of the half to lead 47-22 at the break.

"I was extremely disappointed in our defensive lapses tonight, especially midway through the first half," head coach Jason Crafton said. "They really picked us apart and that just does not happen to us."

Coming out of halftime, Fofana sank back-to-back jumpers and Da'Shawn Phillip added two to cut the deficit to 20. The Hawks were able to bring the margin down to 20 two other times in the second, but never got closer as Liberty kept the UMES offense at bay.

"We played entirely too much 1-on-1 basketball on the offensive end," Crafton said. "But credit to Liberty for coming in with an excellent game plan."

Fofana tied his season-high with a 13-point performance, shooting 6-of-10 from the field while adding three boards and two steals. Phillip was close behind, posting a 12-point effort and four rebounds.

Zion Styles did a little bit of everything for the Hawks, tallying eight points, six rebounds and four assists along with a block and a steal. Chace Davis also finished with eight points, while Kevon Voyles scored six in his first start of the season.

The team eyes its next test on Tuesday, December 6 as they hit the road once again, this time to Fairfax, Virginia.

"We must respond quickly, as we have a very tough George Mason game on the horizon," Crafton said.

Tip against the Patriots is scheduled for 7 p.m. with the contest being streamed on ESPN+.