Feb. 7, 2005
Click here to listen to the women's game beginning at 6:00 pm Monday
Click here to listen to the men's game beginning at approximately 8:00 pm Monday
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Click here for complete men's game notes
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The Women's Game
The UMES Lady Hawks, tied for fourth place in the MEAC, conclude an important two-game weekend trip with a match-up against the Howard Lady Bison Monday in Washington, DC. The Lady Hawks, concluding a stretch of seven games in 15 days, come in at 8-12 (6-5 MEAC) following a 14-point loss at rival Delaware State Saturday afternoon. UMES has won six of its last 10 games following a 2-8 start.
The Lady Bison have struggled since a 4-0 MEAC start (9-4 overall) under head coach Cathy Parson, having dropped five of their last six since to fall to 5-5 in conference. The team is 6-2 at home, including a one-point win over first-place Coppin State. Howard beat the Lady Hawks 86-70 December 6th at the Hytche Center in a game they led almost wire to wire.
News and Notes
PG Ashley Chase is averaging 16.3 ppg but 9.3 TO's/gm over the past 4 games...PG Erica Bennett has missed eight of the Lady Hawks' last 12 games (12/20-illness, 1/10-suspension, 1/17,19,26,29,31-ankle, 2/5-family matter). Without her, the Lady Hawks are averaging 26.3 turnovers/game (210 total), and with her 21.5 TO's/gm (258 total)...Freshman Kristi Veltkamp has scored in double-figures in eight of her past 12 games (11.1 ppg, 133 pts) after failing to score more than nine points in any of her first eight games (4.3 ppg)...Walk-on Toni Kennedy is leading the Lady Hawks in scoring (10.8 ppg). In her past six games she has struggled though, shooting 8-12 FG's at N.C. A&T 1/29, but a combined 15-66 FG's (23%) the other 6 games...Octavia Thompson, the Lady Hawks leading returning scorer from `03-'04, left the team due to personal reasons after the December 6th game. The senior was averaging 8.3 ppg in four games played this season.
Hornets Sting
The Lady Hawks had a three-game winning streak snapped Saturday by the Delaware State Lady Hornets, 60-46 at Memorial Hall. Del Sate, which won its fifth straight game to take sole possession of third place in the conference, broke open a close game by scoring 27 of the first 37 second-half points.
DSU led 22-20 at halftime after a slow-scoring first half, but raced out of the gates in the second stanza, going on an immediate 13-1 run to take a 35-21 lead. Terrelle Waller scored seven of those points, while Lauren smith scored the other six. Waller however would leave the game with an injury and UMES got back within eight, 38-30 thanks to a 9-3 spurt with 12 minutes remaining.
The Lady Hornets put the game away from there with a decisive 11-0 run, five by freshman Raquel Collier, and took their largest lead at 49-30 with 5:23 left. The Lady Hawks would get back as close nine thanks to a late 11-1 run, but it was not enough as Del State held on for the 14-point victory.
Ashley Chase was the only Hawk in double figures with 12 points, while no Lady Hawk had more than three rebounds. Delaware State (11-9, 7-4 MEAC) was led by Waller and Collier who had 17 points each.
UMES Lady Hawks (8-12, 6-5 MEAC)
2004-'05 Schedule:
Previous Games
Date Game Result
11/10 Wilm. Coll. (Ex) W 90-44
11/19 vs. Lafayette# L 44-60
11/20 at Eastern Michigan# L 52-80
11/23 Towson L 68-73
11/26 at LIU^ L 49-56
11/27 vs. Miami^ L 64-88
11/30 at Winthrop W 62-55
12/4 Delaware State* W 58-56
12/6 Howard* L 70-86
12/20 at Bucknell L 48-60
12/30 at Temple L 53-77
1/8 at Florida A&M* W 71-68 (OT)
1/10 at Beth-Cook.* W 67-55
1/17 at Hampton* L 46-51
1/19 at Norfolk St.* L 46-63
1/24 Morgan State* W 65-51
1/26 Coppin State* L 51-77
1/29 at N.C. A&T* W 85-75 (OT)
1/31 vs. S. Car. St.* W 63-53
2/2 at American W 62-59 (OT)
2/5 at Delaware St.* L 46-60
Upcoming Games:
Date Game Time
2/7 at Howard* 6:00 pm
2/12 Florida A&M* 2:00 pm
2/14 Beth-Cookman* 5:30 pm
2/19 Norfolk State* 2:00 pm
2/21 Hampton* 5:30 pm
2/26 at Coppin State* 5:30 pm
2/28 at Morgan State* 5:30 pm
3/7-12 MEAC Tourn. TBA
#=Eastern Michigan Eagle Classic
^=LIU Turkey Classic
*denotes MEAC conference game
The Men's Game
The UMES men's basketball team concludes a two-game weekend trip with a match-up against the struggling Howard Bison Monday in Washington, DC. The Hawks (1-19, 0-11 MEAC) come in on a 17-game losing skid following a 26-point road loss at Delaware State Saturday.
The Bison (5-14, 2-8 MEAC) come in riding an eight-game losing streak (all in conference) following a 5-6 (2-0 MEAC) start to the season. The team lost all-conference preseason selection Louis Ford after the new year (because of academics) with a 4-6 record (and are 1-8 since). Howard beat the Hawks 88-68 behind a Ford triple-double Dec. 6th at the Hytche Center.
Scouting the Bison
The Howard Bison (5-14, 2-8 MEAC) come into Monday's contest on an eight-game losing streak, all in the conference, following a 69-60 loss to Delaware State Thursday night. The team started the season 5-6 and 2-0 in the conference, but is now in 10th place, ahead of only UMES.
The Bison, coached by Frankie Allen, finished 10th in the MEAC last season. Junior point guard Louis Ford, who was averaging 14.1 ppg and 5.6 apg in 10 games played, was lost after the Dec. 30th game at Georgetown due to academics. Since his departure, the team has gone just 1-8.
The team is led by sophomore transfer Cliffone Ault, who tops Howard in scoring (14.1 ppg). Sophomore Will Gant, Ford's PG replacement, adds 12.9 ppg. The Bison defeated the Hawks 88-68 Dec. 6th in Princess Anne, behind 17 points from Ault and a triple-double from Ford (11 pts, 14 assists, 10 steals).
News and Notes
The Hawks have struggled to score this season, averaging 55 ppg through 20 games. The team has not scored more than 60 points in a game since Jan. 8th (9 straight). UMES is shooting 38% from the field, 59% from the foul line and 28% from three-point range...UMES is allowing 80 ppg to its opponents this season, and has twice given up at least 100 points...The Hawks are 0-12 away from the Hytche Center this season (and 1-7 at home)...The Hawks began the season 1-13 for the 2nd straight year, and 1-12 for the 3rd straight. After going 1-13 last season, the Hawks ran off wins in six of their next nine to improve to 7-16. In `02-'03, the team finished 5-23, and last season 8-21...The Hawks won their first game of the season in their third attempt (12/1 vs. UMBC). Last season, it took the Hawks nine games to record a victory (started 0-8)...The Hawks returned only five players from last season's team that finished 8-21 (6-12 MEAC). Gone from `03-'04 are all three coaches including head coach Thomas Trotter, leading scorer Tee Trotter, leading rebounder Javes Wiggins and leading three-point shooter Aaron Wellington.
Del State Blues
The Delaware State Hornets took advantage of every Hawk mistake, scoring 41 points on 22 UMES turnovers en route to a 71-45 home victory Saturday in Dover. The win was the seventh straight for the Hornets, who stayed tied for first place in the MEAC with Coppin State. The Hawks dropped their 17th straight game.
Tim Parham was again the story for UMES (1-19, 0-11 MEAC), grabbing his eighth double-double in his last 11 games with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Del State's duo of Terrance Hunter and Jahsha Bluntt combined for 39 points. DSU (11-11, 9-2 MEAC) lead by 11 at halftime, 36-25, thanks in large point to Bluntt's 15 first-half points, 11 of which came during a big 16-5 run that gave DSU a 13-point advantage.
After UMES got within 41-33 with 16 minutes left in the second half, the Hornets put the game away by scoring 27 of the game's next 35 points, taking a 68-41 lead with just over 3 minutes remaining. UMES would end up falling by 26, 71-45.
UMES Hawks (1-19, 0-11 MEAC)
2004-05 Schedule:
Previous Games
Date Game Result
11/13 Eliz City St. (Ex) L 59-74
11/19 at Fresno State L 42-83
11/23 at Virginia Tech L 50-102
12/1 UMBC W 69-62
12/4 Delaware State* L 55-65
12/6 Howard* L 68-88
12/11 Morehead State L 45-62
12/18 at Nicholls State L 66-100
12/21 at TCU L 53-93
12/22 at Baylor L 73-97
12/29 at Portland State L 44-89
1/8 at Florida A&M* L 68-93
1/10 at Beth-Cook.* L 58-61
1/14 Brown L 38-87
1/17 at Hampton* L 54-80
1/19 at Norfolk State* L 56-74
1/24 Morgan State* L 60-80
1/26 Coppin State* L 55-78
1/29 at N.C. A&T* L 59-74
1/31 S. Carolina St.* L 36-67
2/5 at Delaware St.* L 45-71
Upcoming Games
2/7 at Howard* 8:00 pm
2/12 Florida A&M* 4:00 pm
2/14 Beth-Cookman* 7:30 pm
2/19 Norfolk State* 4:00 pm
2/21 Hampton* 7:30 pm
2/26 at Coppin State* 7:30 pm
2/28 at Morgan State* 7:30 pm
3/7-12 MEAC Tourney TBA
*denotes MEAC conference game
Larry Lessett- Head Coach
Lawrence Lessett, Jr. is in his first year as head coach of the Hawks. While making his debut as a Division I head coach, he brings almost thirty years of coaching experience from the high school level through the professional ranks.
Lessett comes to Princess Anne after working for three years as a global scout for Magic Johnson International Basketball. Prior to that he served as head coach of the Magic City Snowbears of the International Basketball Association, where he coached the team to a franchise record in wins and a playoff appearance in his only season.
No stranger to the college ranks, Lessett has made several collegiate stops in his career, most recently as head basketball coach and athletic director of Hiwassee College in Madisonville, Tennessee. He has also served as an assistant coach at Mercer University, De Anza College, Georgia Southwestern College, Georgia College, Santa Barbara City College, Western New Mexico University, Loyola Marymount University and Cal State University Northridge.
Lessett received a Bachelors degree in Physical Education from Cal State Northridge in 1983 and a Masters degree in Phys Ed and Health from Georgia College in 1991.
Assistant Coaches
Meredith Smith- Assistant Coach
Meredith Smith returns to his alma mater to serve as the first assistant men's basketball coach this season. He graduated from UMES, then Maryland State College, in 1975.
Smith became head coach of Southern High School in Baltimore City in 1978, a position he then held for 24 seasons. In that time he compiled a 414-145 record, giving him the second most victories in Baltimore City Public School history. Smith won 25 playoff games, including three Maryland State Championships (MPSSAA), two Maryland Scholastic Association Conference Championships and a Baltimore City Championship in 1999-2000.
In 1993 the Baltimore Sun named Smith their "Coach of the Year." Smith holds a Bachelors degree in Secondary and Physical Education from UMES and a Master's degree from Coppin State University.
Carl Thomas- Assistant Coach
Carl Thomas, a first-year men's assistant coach, joined the UMES program during the first week of January. Thomas comes to the Hawks less than a year removed from playing in the professional ranks.
While Thomas is holding his first coaching position, he has been in collegiate and professional basketball for almost two decades as a player. A former standout at Eastern Michigan University (1987-'91), Thomas spent much of his professional career in the Continental Basketball Association. He holds the career CBA record for the most times called up to the NBA (5).
Thomas played 68 games over three seasons in the NBA, including stints with the Sacramento Kings (1992), Cleveland Cavaliers (`97 + `98), Golden State Warriors (`98) and Orlando Magic (`98). He averaged 2.9 ppg.
