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Feb. 15, 2003
PRINCESS ANNE, MD--The University of Maryland Eastern Shore Fighting Hawks (3-19, 3-10 MEAC) fell tonight in a close game to the Rattlers of Florida A & M University (FAMU) (12-9, 7-5 MEAC).
UMES fought hard and played well in front of a crowd of more than 3,500 but came up short in the end. They got 25 points from Tee Trotter and 13 from freshman Aaron Wellington. Javes Wiggins pitched in with 11 points and grabbed eight boards to lead the Hawks on the boards.
The Hawks jumped out to a four-point lead on free throws by the Hawk's lone senior, Ali Trotman and a jumper by Wiggins. FAMU took the lead back on a three by Moses White but the Hawks would have none of that. Wiggins got another two scores and Trotter hit a three to give the Hawks a seven point lead at the 12:07 mark. The Hawks would maintain the lead all the way to the locker room with a 35-29 margin. Trotter would have 13 at the half.
UMES would keep the lead for the first to minutes of the second half but gave it up on a three-pointer by the nation's second leading three-point shooter, Terrance Woods. Trotter had an answer for Woods when he nailed a three of his own just 27 seconds later. The Hawks would again hold the lead when Trotter drained another three 23 seconds later. They would hold on to that lead until the 2:02 mark when FAMU got another three by Woods. The score would go back and forth for the rest of the game until the Rattler's took a three-point lead on a three-pointer by Wilkins at the 6:12 mark. No team could score for almost three minutes but Wellington would get a lay-up at the 3:21 mark to cut the Rattler lead to one. He would make a three-pointer of his own just 22 seconds later and the Hawks held a two-point lead. O.J. Sumter would go one for two from the line and cut the Hawk lead to one with just 1:48 to play. After UMES would miss two shots Woods would make his fifth three-pointer of the game in the corner to give FAMU a 62-60 lead. Trotter would get one last look at the basket and he would miss a three-pointer with defenders in his face and the rattlers would squeak out a 62-60 win on the Hawk's Homecoming.
UMES played well, turning the ball over only four times and forcing FAMU into 12. They would be out-rebounded 39-32 but were even in the offensive boards category with nine. FAMU shot 40 percent while the Hawks only shot 37 percent.
"All those guys are back except [Trotman] next year," said Head Coach Thomas Trotter. "They played well, took care of the ball, and played solid defense. We just need an inside presence to score for us, we took 27 three-pointers, a few too many and that may have hurt us. We are there we just have to get over the mountain and then we can win."
UMES will now host Bethune-Cookman College on Monday night at 7:30 pm. It was the Wildcats who gave UMES their first win of the season earlier this year.
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