Hawks lose the regular season finale, 57-56
 
 
SUMMARY

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks lost in the final seconds to Delaware State, 57-56, to end the regular season.
 
 

THE SCORE

Delaware State Hornets (7-22; 2-12) - 57
Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (9-22; 5-8) - 56
 
 
 

 
GAME BREAKDOWN
 

The final game of the regular season began with the Hornets of Delaware State jumping out to a 9-4 lead after the first four minutes of play. A three ball by Rahmir Moore extended the DSU lead to seven, 14-7, by the 12:54 mark. UMES slowly worked their way back into a single possession thanks to baskets by Dorion Staples and Justin Monden to pull to an 18-15 margin with 7:15 left before halftime. The Hawks managed to cut the deficit down to one, 26-25, by half.
 

The Hawks took their first lead of the ball game with a little over sixteen minutes left. A three ball by Joseph Locandro and an extra effort putback by Staples helped UMES take a 32-30 lead. DSU reclaimed the lead at the 9:45 mark on a layin by Miles Webb.


With the score tied at 39-39, Webb had a rare four point trip down the floor for the Hornets after being fouled on a three point attempt. Webb hit his first two free throws and grabbed a rebound on a missed third attempt for an easy putback. DSU extended their lead to seven, 50-43, thanks to a three pointer by Ponce James. A traditional three point play from Staples cut the deficit down to four, 52-48 with 4:42 to play. A putback by Locandro and a fastbreak layin from Staples tied the game back up at 52-52 with under four minutes left.


DSU responded with a three ball by Jaden St. Clair with 2:29 remaining. A make by Monden from beyond the arc tied the game back up at 55-55 with under a minute to go. After a defensive stand, the Hawks took the lead on a Zion Obanla free throw. With under 18 seconds left, the Hawks were unable to come up with the final stop. After deflecting the ball out of bounds with 3 seconds on the clock, the Hawks gave up the winning basket on a dunk by Webb.
 
 
 
 
BY THE NUMBERS
 

Joseph Locandro led the Hawks with 18 points. Dorion Staples finished with 14 points, four rebounds and four assists.


Miles Webb led DSU with 21 points and six rebounds including the game winning basket. Rahmir Moore added 12 points and James Ponce finished with 11 in the victory.


The Hawks held the edge in a variety of areas. UMES held a 19-9 edge in second chance points and a 33-5 advantage in bench points. UMES also outscored DSU in the paint, 36-24, and held a slight advantage on the fastbreak, 11-7.

The Hornets made six three pointers to the Hawks two makes from beyond the arc. 


 
 
 
 

 
QUOTES FROM UMES HEAD COACH CLEO HILL, JR
 

"Tonight was probably the toughest loss we have had all year. We had great energy on the floor and in the stands. The fans came out and supported us. To lose in this type of way is frustrating. We will look at the film to identify exactly what happened on the final play but I think there were a few key moments in the final two minutes where we simply did not execute. I think we turned the ball over way to many times, missed too many free throws and lost track of their shooters at times."


"As we get ready for tournament play, we will talk about all the things we can do better. We'll focus on the matchup and refocus on what we can do to find a way to win."


"We have seven seniors entering tournament play and I think they will be motivated going into next week. We will need everyone to step up and play their best ball."


"For us, it really is all about detail. We have the chance to compete and go on and win the tournament but we have to play every possession with a focus on execution and attention to detail. It's all about doing the small things in order to win."
 

 
NEXT GAME

 
The Hawks will begin MEAC Tournament play in Norfolk, Virginia on March 11. Tournament brackets wil be released on Friday.