PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland — The University of Maryland Eastern Shore men's basketball team travels to Durham, North Carolina to face #15 Duke University on Saturday, December 10. Tip is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. from Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The Hawks' (3-6) contest against the Blue Devils (9-2, 1-0 ACC) will be their third straight on the road after making trips to Liberty on December 2 and George Mason on December 6. UMES is still searching for their first road victory while posting a perfect 3-0 record on their home floor thus far.
About the Hawks
The Hawks boast the second-best scoring defense in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, holding their opponents to 68.1 points per game and trailing first-place in the category by just one-tenth of a point. The team also ranks second in the conference in opponent three-point percentage, holding their foes to a 31.5 percent clip from beyond the arc.
Kevon Voyles has helped to bolster the offense in his return after missing the first six games. In a short three-game sample size, Voyles is averaging over 11 points per game and has scored in double-digit figures twice, including 16 points off the bench against Lehigh on November 30 in his return to action.
Zion Styles continues to headline the Hawk offense, leading all Hawks with at least four games played in scoring at 11.1 points per contest. Styles also averages 3.8 boards, ranking second on the squad.
Da'Shawn Phillip ranks third in the scoring column, averaging nearly 10 points per contest. Nathaniel Pollard Jr. leads the team in rebounding, hauling in just over seven rebounds per game while averaging nearly eight points.
Ahamadou Fofana has helped stabilize the Hawk offense at the point position, adding 6.9 points per game while tied for the team lead in assists (19). Fofana also leads the team in steals with 12. Tuka Nugent shares the assist-lead with Fofana for the Hawks despite appearing off the bench in all nine games so far.
Scouting the Blue Devils
UMES will have a tough task on its hands against #15 Duke, the second opponent on its schedule ranked in the top-15 in the AP Top 25 College Basketball Poll.
"It's an incredible opportunity for our program to be in the national spotlight," head coach Jason Crafton said. "Playing against UConn last year and playing against Virginia this year, those were big games for us, but to have the chance to come and play against Duke at Cameron Indoor, there's nothing like this."
The Blue Devils enter Saturday's showdown on a three-game winning streak and unbeaten at Cameron Indoor Stadium this season. They lead the ACC in rebounding (40.6), rebound margin (+9.9), and offensive rebounds (14.3), while ranking second in scoring defense (59.0) and posting in the top-30 nationally in each category.
Duke's top offensive threat in the early stretch has been freshman center Kyle Filipowski, who leads the team in scoring (14.9 PPG), rebounding (9.4 RPG), and steals (15). In the backcourt, the Blue Devils run through junior guard Jeremy Roach, who leads his team in minutes (33.3 per) and assists (39) while ranking just behind Filipowski in scoring (13.1 PPG).
"They have great size at every position, so rebounding is going to be key for us, and then it's about trying to neutralize their talent," Crafton said. "Their size, youth and athleticism can be very overwhelming and we've got to try to find a way to neutralize it."
The hosts come in as winners of each of their last three contests, tallying wins over Ohio State on November 30, Boston College on December 3 and Iowa on December 6.
"We're going to savor this moment, but at the same time we want to go out there and compete for 40 minutes," Crafton said. "We're going to battle with these guys and give our best effort for 40 minutes and see where that gets us."
Live coverage of Saturday's matchup can be found on the ACC Network.
