Second-half surge pushes Savannah State beyond Maryland Eastern Shore

Savannah State women's basketball coach Cedric Baker admitted some things could be better, some a little worse, while summing up the Tigers' .500 season pretty accurately.

The positive shined brightly at Tiger Arena on Wednesday night. SSU received key contributions from its bench and used a solid defensive effort in the second half to pull away from Maryland Eastern Shore, 71-50.

The Tigers raised their record to 7-1 at home while evening their overall mark at 8-8. A year ago, SSU finished 9-21 overall, so .500 has a nice ring right now. "This was an important win for the program," Baker said. "The kids have bought into what we've been telling them."


UMES Announces Annual 'Take a Kid to the Game' Day

PRINCESS ANNE, Md.- The University of Maryland Eastern Shore today announced its annual NCAA® Men's and Women's Basketball Take A Kid to the Game® day will be held on Saturday, January 15 when the Hawks take on the Florida A&M Rattlers at the W.P. Hytche Athletic Center. The Lady Hawks take on the Lady Rattlers at 2 p.m. with the men's teams following at approximately 4 p.m.

Area youth ages 12 and younger are invited to experience the college game day atmosphere and action with a free ticket when accompanied by an adult with paid admission.

"We are excited to once again host a youth-focused game day at the Hytche this season," said G. Stan Bradley, Assistant Athletic Director for External Affairs. "We hope the community will embrace this event and bring children out to experience a college athletic event at the UMES campus, while cheering on the Hawks."

SAVANNAH STATE'S HOT SHOOTING SECOND HALF SINKS UMES, 71-50

SAVANNAH, Ga. - Savannah State shot 53.8 percent in the second half, breaking open a tie game at halftime on its way to a 71-50 win over the University of Maryland Eastern Shore women's basketball team at Tiger Arena Wednesday.

Ezinne Kalu scored 18 points on 7-for-9 shooting to help the Lady Tigers even their record to 8-8 while Amber Cook (Greensboro, N.C.) paced UMES with a career-high-tying 16 points and eight rebounds in its sixth consecutive defeat. Casey Morton (Mardela Springs, Md.) became the fourth player in UMES women's basketball history to eclipse the 1,000-point barrier with a 3-pointer in the first half and finished with 10 points.

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SSU men in transition this season‎

SSU MEN'S BASKETBALL PREVIEW

The Savannah State men's basketball program is looking ahead to the future, literally and figuratively.

The Tigers have only one player competing that isn't a sophomore or freshman. Two juniors, Rashad Hassan and Arnold Louis, who were among the team's top players a year ago, will red-shirt this season to save a year of eligibility when the school joins the Mid-eastern Athletic Conference next season.

"The operative word is transition, as an institution and a program we're trying to transition into the MEAC," said SSU sixth-year coach Horace Broadnax, whose squad opens the season Friday at home against Brewton Parker.

Lady Tigers Opens with Edward Waters

SAVANNAH, Ga.- Thirteen home games and a pair of four-game home-stands highlights the Savannah State women’s basketball slate for the 2010-11 season. Despite 13 home games, SSU will travel through 10 states this season (Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Kansas, Alabama, Louisiana, Virginia, Maryland, Indiana and New Jersey).

Cedric Baker, who is entering his 8th season as the Lady Tiger head coach, has SSU opening their 27-game schedule against NAIA opponent Edward Waters on November 12. After games at Florida A&M, South Carolina State and Charlotte, the Lady Tigers have home contests with North Florida (Nov. 27) and Central Florida (Nov. 30).

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