SUMMARY
PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas - To conclude its appearance at the Battle 4 Atlantis Women's Showcase, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore fell to Princeton, 81–62, on Sunday afternoon. Senior Brianna Barnes led the Hawks with 21 points, while senior Ashanti Lynch and freshman Desi Taylor added 11 each to round out the team's double-figure scorers.
THE SCORE
Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (4-4) - 62
Princeton (5-1) - 81
HOW IT HAPPENED
Princeton closed the opening quarter with a 17–6 lead despite a fast start from Maryland Eastern Shore. Barnes delivered the early spark for the Hawks, knocking down the first jumper of the afternoon and following with a strong finish at the rim to give UMES a 4–0 lead. The Tigers responded with defensive pressure that disrupted the Hawks' rhythm, capitalizing on turnovers to fuel a 12–0 run. Princeton found repeated success in the paint, while UMES struggled to convert on several close looks. Barnes halted the drought with a pair of free throws late in the period, but a buzzer-beating jumper from Princeton extended the deficit as the Hawks entered the second quarter trailing by 11.
Princeton continued to control the pace in the second quarter, outscoring UMES to take a 38–21 lead into halftime. The Hawks opened the period with defensive stops but couldn't convert early chances around the rim until Lynch's steal led to a fast-break finish from senior Dakieran Turner. Princeton answered immediately, stringing together second-chance points and mid-range makes to push the margin back to double digits. Sophomore Dayshawna Carter provided a spark off the bench with a strong finish inside, and Barnes added two trips to the line to keep UMES within reach. Senior Lainey Allen later broke through for a layup and Taylor knocked down a three and a jumper in the final minutes, but Princeton continued to capitalize on offensive rebounds and points in the paint to maintain its cushion heading into the break.
UMES found its offensive rhythm in the third quarter, using a burst of perimeter shooting to trim Princeton's lead, but the Tigers continued to answer each push to take a 56–40 advantage into the fourth. Barnes opened the half with a strong finish at the rim before sophomore Jaida Cameron steadied the Hawks with two free throws. Princeton stretched the margin back to 18 with a transition layup and a three, but the Hawks responded with their best shooting stretch of the night as Barnes drilled a three from the wing, Taylor followed with back-to-back triples, and Cameron knocked down another from deep to bring UMES within 12. Turner added a three-point play to fuel the run, and the Hawks generated several defensive stops, but Princeton capitalized on trips to the line and a late jumper to regain separation. Despite the surge, UMES headed into the final period still looking to close the gap.
Princeton continued to maintain control in the fourth quarter despite several late pushes from UMES, closing out the game with an 81–62 win. The Tigers opened the frame with a second-chance three to extend their lead to 19 before Barnes answered with a deep make to spark the Hawks' offense. UMES generated points at the line as Barnes, Turner, and Lynch chipped away with free throws, and freshman Jailynn Clayton added a strong finish inside to keep the margin within reach. Princeton, however, responded with timely scoring, highlighted by a corner three and a series of paint touches that rebuilt its cushion. Turner knocked down a mid-range jumper, Lynch added back-to-back trips to the rim, and Barnes converted in transition off a steal to close the period with momentum, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome as the Tigers' combination of offensive rebounds, perimeter shooting, and late free throws sealed the result.
BY THE NUMBERS
Brianna Barnes scored a team-high 21 points with three rebounds and three steals. The 21 points is Barnes' career-high while at UMES.
Desi Taylor and Ashanti Lynch each scored double-digit totals too with 11 points each. Taylor finished the game a perfect 4-for-4 from the field and 3-for-3 beyond the arc while adding a pair of rebounds and an assist. Lynch also grabbed four rebounds and three steals while dishing out two assists.
The Hawks came alive in the second half, improving from a first half in which the team 31.8% (7-22) to 48% (12-25) in the second.
Princeton held the rebound advantage through the game with a 39-26 performance against the Hawks. The 26 rebounds is a season-low for UMES.
UMES shot its best game from three as the team went 6-of-7 (85.7%). Taylor added three, Barnes two and Jaida Cameron added the final three for the Hawks.
The Hawks also shot its best game from the free-throw-line, going 18-of-21 (85.7%).
COMMENTS FROM HAWKS HEAD COACH MALIKAH WILLIS
Thoughts on today's game
"It was a better display on offense and defense for us. We gave up a lot of points, but Princeton scores a lot of points. So, we did well in that category. Defensively, we're going to play as long as we string four quarters together. We did that today. We struggled in the first quarter offensively, though, and we had to dig ourselves out of a hole. But we had a better second half than we've been playing."
Improving on second half performance
"That's on me. I've been sitting there trying to figure out how to get a quicker start, and we just adjusted our lineup. We came out with a different lineup and it worked out. I'm happy with how they played the third quarter and kicked off the second half. We've just got to get the rest of it down. But we're getting it, making our adjustments, and it's early. I'm happy with how they played today."
What does it do for the program to play this level of competition early in the season?
"It prepares us to play later on and prepares us mentally because you play a team like this with how they read and react, you just can't take breaks on defense. I think they saw that early on. They saw it on film and scout, and they did a better job executing. We've just got to rebound."
Approaching the Battle 4 Atlantis as a platform for UMES and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
"I told our team today that it's about pride. It is something to make a statement with our conference and to let everyone know that the MEAC is a very competitive conference. We're in games and winning games that some people may think that we shouldn't win. And that's across the board with all the teams in the MEAC. It's just a statement. Unfortunately we didn't get the win this weekend, but we're here and the more people that know about us and our conference, the better."
NEXT UP
UMES returns to Maryland, but will travel to Emmitsburg to face Mount St. Mary's (Md.) for a 1 p.m. game on Wednesday, November 26.
