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March 5, 2010
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) Men's and Women's basketball teams concluded their 2009-10 regular season last night in Dover, Del. The remainder of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) also wrapped up their games and the final standings have been released by the conference office. The Lady Hawks, despite winning last night, have secured the no. 7 seed in the conference tournament while the men did one better, earning the sixth seed at the event. The Lady Hawks, predicted to finish second in the pre-season polls, had some trouble with team chemistry and it showed in the final standings. UMES wound up .500 in league play with an 8-8 mark. They had a chance of securing the sixth seed but the Florida A&M win over Bethune-Cookman last night gave the Rattlers the fifth seed, the Wildcats the sixth, and sent UMES to seventh. That means an opening round match-up with the 10th seeded Lady Hornets of Delaware State, a team UMES swept in the regular season with last night's 58-55 win. That game will open the 2010 Tournament at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday March 9th. Should UMES defeat the Hornets a third time they will face second-seeded Hampton Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. The UMES women won a quarter-final game last season when they topped the fifth-seeded Morgan State Lady Bears 70-59. Fred Batchelor is 2-5 all-time in the MEAC Tournament. The men, predicted 11th to start the year, surprised the league with an 8-8 finish, their best since 2000-01 when they were 10-2 and were also 6th. UMES could have finished as high as fourth place with a win last night at Delaware State. Nonetheless, the Fighting Hawks take on the 11th seeded Eagles of Coppin State, a team UMES swept this season for the first time since 2001-02. UMES most recently topped CSU on Homecoming in a 66-52 decision. They will meet again on Wednesday, March 10 at 3:00 p.m. If the Hawks are able to win a third time then they will face the third seeded Bulldogs of South Carolina State on Thursday March 11 at 6:00 p.m.
If the Hawks can get a win in the tournament it will be the first since 2004 when they topped no. 8 Bethune-Cookman in Richmond, Va. 51-50 as the nine seed. Frankie Allen, dating back to his time at Howard, is 4-6 overall at the MEAC Tournament. His best finish was 2002 when Howard lost to Hampton 73-64 in the finals. |
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