PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland -- The University of Maryland Eastern Shore men's basketball team concluded a phenomenal season with another impressive win over Morgan State, an 89-76 final score on Thursday evening. UMES (18-13, 11-5) finishes the regular season on a four-game winning streak, heading into the MEAC Tournament with the school's best record since the 1973-74 season.
UMES honored six Hawks prior to the contest for Senior Night with a presentation for each graduating player. Coach Collins then started seniors playing in their final home game, Ishaq Pitt, Devon Walker, Isaac Smith and junior Travis Trim who will graduate this spring. The unusual lineup did not slow things down for UMES, establishing an early 8-2 lead. Morgan State hung tough, keeping things close at 19-18 after nine minutes of action. Devin Martin rattled off seven straight points for UMES to help open up a double-digit lead. As the teams went to the locker room, UMES led comfortably at 42-29.
While Morgan State prevented the game from getting out of hand, the Bears never truly threatened in the second half. The closest margin was eight points at 53-45 with 15:47 to go, but UMES responded with 11-3 run to keep the Bears at bay. Freshman Ryan Andino hit back-to-back three-pointers, turning one of them into a four-point play, to build the lead out to 16 points. The advantage ballooned to 18 points at its largest, and eventually UMES coasted to the 89-76 final margin.
All 12 active players got on the floor for UMES, with ten players getting in the scorebook. Five Hawks cracked double digits with Martin leading the bunch with 17 points. Both Dominique Elliott and Mike Myers recorded double-doubles with 15 and 13 points respectively, and both bigs grabbing ten rebounds apiece. Sharpshooters Walker and Andino each nailed three long-range shots. Walker finished with 11 points, while Andino racked up 10 points. Pitt, a senior who was part of a two-win team during his sophomore year, added seven assists in the victory.
The Hawks' offense thrived in nearly every aspect of the game, shooting solid marks from all areas of the floor. As a team, UMES shot 50.0% overall, 52.9% from beyond the arc (9-of-17) and 82.4% from the free throw line (14-for-17). The Hawks also controlled the interior, outrebounding Morgan State by a wide margin of 44 to 27. UMES also outscored their in-state rivals in the lane by a total of 44 to 34.
With the victory, UMES sweeps their season series with Morgan State for the first time since 2012. The win is also the 18th of the year for UMES, the most for the program since the historic 1973-74 season, which culminated in an NIT appearance. The Hawks complete the season at an 18-13 overall record, and 11-5 in conference play for a third-place finish. For the Hawks, it's the best finish in the MEAC since the 1993-94 season when they tied for second place.
Next week, UMES will travel down to Norfolk, Va. for the MEAC Tournament, held at the Scope Arena from Monday March 9 to Saturday March 14. The Hawks will play on Thursday with a 6:00 p.m. scheduled tip-off against the winner of the first round matchup between the 6-seed and 11-seed. Hawk fans can listen live to the MEAC Tournament on the Hawks Radio Network, powered by SFMSports.net and Fox Sports 960 AM in Salisbury, Md.
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COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE SPORTS INFORMATION
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