SUMMARY
NORFOLK, Virginia — The University of Maryland Eastern Shore appeared in its first MEAC road contest and took home a 63-60 win against Norfolk State in the Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall to move to 2-0 in the conference.
UMES ended a nine-game losing streak against Norfolk State with the victory, paced by Dayshawna Carter's 19 points and strong performances from Ashanti Lynch and Kalise Hill. The Hawks controlled the boards and made key plays down the stretch to secure the win.
THE SCORE
Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (9-10, 2-0 MEAC) - 63
Norfolk State (6-11, 1-1 MEAC) - 60
HOW IT HAPPENED
UMES came out strong in the opening quarter, using aggressive defense and timely scoring to build an early lead. Ashanti Lynch led the way with multiple jumpers and free throws, including a buzzer-beater to give the Hawks a 16-10 advantage at the end of the quarter. Kaliya Perry contributed key points in the paint and sparked the team with a steal, while Kalise Hill added a layup and an assist to help UMES control the tempo.
The Hawks capitalized on defensive pressure, forcing turnovers and converting fast-break opportunities. Perry and Dakieran Turner were active on the boards, securing offensive rebounds that led to high-percentage shots in the paint. Lynch and Dayshawna Carter provided consistent scoring, with Lynch hitting layups and Carter knocking down a key three-pointer to maintain the lead. UMES entered halftime with a 27-20 advantage.
Coming out of halftime, the Hawks pushed the pace, but Norfolk State found some offensive momentum, outscoring UMES 26-18 in the quarter to take a 46-45 lead by the end of the frame. Carter scored on free throws and added a fast-break three-pointer while Lynch contributed layups in transition. Perry and Turner continued to dominate the boards, generating second-chance points.
The fourth quarter was a back-and-forth battle, but the UMES defense created multiple turnovers that led to transition opportunities. With under two minutes remaining, Turner scored in the paint, followed by Barnes converting consecutive free throws to give UMES a 60-56 edge. The Hawks held off a late rally as Barnes and Turner sealed the win with a layup and a free throw, respectively, finishing 63-60.
BY THE NUMBERS
With tonight's 63-60 win, UMES snapped a nine-game losing streak against Norfolk State. The Hawks' last victory over the Spartans coming on Jan. 26, 2019, in a 59-43 win.
Dayshawna Carter led UMES with 19 points on 5-of-12 shooting, including 2-of-5 from three-point range and 7-of-8 at the free-throw line.
Ashanti Lynch recorded her eleventh double-digit scoring game of the season, adding 15 points to go along with eight rebounds, three assists and a steal.
Kalise Hill scored in double digits for the second consecutive game with 11 points, adding four rebounds and one steal.
UMES outrebounded Norfolk State 41-36, dominating the offensive boards 16-11. The Hawks converted those opportunities into 13 second-chance points compared to Norfolk State's seven. Both teams collected 25 defensive rebounds.
At the free-throw line, UMES connected on 15-of-19 attempts (78.9%), edging Norfolk State's 17-of-22 (77.3%).
Despite Norfolk State's strong second half, the Hawks led for 70.5% of the game, keeping control over the Spartans, who held the lead just 19.3% of the contest.
COMMENTS FROM HAWKS HEAD COACH MALIKAH WILLIS
Thoughts on the game and breaking the nine-game losing streak
"I'm proud of our team. They did great and pulled through. This is the 40 minutes we've been asking for. Every game is tough, and we're not going to blow anyone out. We like adversity — it doesn't build character, it reveals it — and our players showed their true colors today. We played all the way to the end. Dayshawna [Carter] is doing a great job for us, Ashanti [Lynch] was strong out there, and (Brianna Barnes) came in clutch. It was a good defensive performance. Norfolk State was going to hit shots and they came back in the third quarter like usual, but we fought back."
On the final play
"We drew it up for Brianna and Dayshawna. We wanted to put them in action together since they're our leading scorers. I told them we were in the bonus and they had to go get a bucket. She attacked, faked, put it on the floor, and made a tough basket."
On late-game defense
"We were switching everything. We told them to keep the ball above the break. They got downhill, so we adjusted with help defense to force pull-ups and floaters. We kept them out of the paint, which was exactly what we needed."
On the team's potential after a big road win:
"This is one game at a time. We're a work in progress, and I'm just glad it's showing on the floor."
NEXT UP
UMES continues its early portion of conference play hosting the Howard Bison on Saturday, Jan 10, at 2 p.m. in the William P. Hytche Athletic Center.
