Hawks edged by George Washington, 69-63


WASHINGTON, D.C. - A strong performance by the Hawks and a career night by junior forward Troy Hupstead would not be enough as UMES came up short in Saturday's 69-63 loss at George Washington University.


The loss drops the Hawks to 2-9 on the year while the Revolutionaries improve to 11-2 overall.


The Hawk starters kept the GWU offense at bay in the first four minutes as UMES managed a 6-5 lead going into the first media timeout. GW appeared to hit its stride midway through the opening half which included a 13-0 run to go up 24-10. Sparked by the play of Devon Ellis, UMES responded with a 14-2 run. A three-pointer by Chace Davis and free throws by Kelechi Okworogwo gave the Hawks a 34-32 lead at intermission. 


"I thought our starters did a great job of setting the tone early," said Hawk head coach Jason Crafton. "We responded to challenges and fought back to take the lead on the road against a quality opponent."


As the second half played itself out, it would be Hupstead's play that kept UMES in contention. Hupstead scored 18 of the first 22 UMES points of the half. Similar to the first half, the Hawks surrendered a 12-2 run and trailed by as many as nine. Eight straight points by Hupstead along with a jumper by Ellis and a three-point make by Davis tied the game up, 57-57, at the 8:01 mark.


UMES struggled on the offensive end down the stretch as the Hawks managed just one made field goal and turned the ball over five times in the final eight minutes.


"We did a good job on the defensive end for most of the game," Crafton said. "We have to be better at making the right decisions and making sure we are taking care of the ball. While we had a chance to win, turnovers and shot selection hurt as today."


While the Hawks struggled to score, the Revolutionaries gradually built a eight point cushion, 66-58, with 2:56 to play and held on for the win.



Hupstead finished the game with a career-high 25 points to go along with nine rebounds. Ellis finished with 16 points and eight rebounds. Davis finished with 11 points.


Garret Johnson led GW with 18 points and 10 rebounds. GW held the advantages in points off turnovers, 14-5, and points in the paint, 36-18.


UMES will play its first home game in 45 days on Tueday against Clarks Summit.