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Feb. 5, 2005
Dover, Del. - The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) Lady Hawks played one of the most important regular season games in the last few seasons today as they traveled to Delaware State University (DSU) to face the Lady Hornets, a fierce Eastern Shore rival and a team tied with them for third place in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). Unfortunately, the Lady Hawks fell 60-46. Turnovers were the reason as UMES (8-12, 6-5 MEAC) committed 30. They were also out-rebounded 33-29 and out shot 43 percent to 31. Ashley Chase led UMES with 12 points and was the only Hawk in double figures as Toni Kennedy added eight and Qiana Cheatham and Kolade Aderoju had seven each. No Lady Hawk had more than three rebounds. Delaware State (11-9, 7-4 MEAC) was led by Terrelle Waller and Raquel Collier who had 17 points each. Lauryn Smith had eight points and 11 rebounds. DSU's Talisha McCullough got the game started with an opening lay-up just 37 seconds in. UMES would come right back getting a three in the corner from Kennedy. The Lady Hawks would then get a Jamila Griffith lay-in just 30 seconds later to lead DSU five to two. Both teams would grow cold and no one could put the ball in the hoop for over two minutes. Delaware State was the first to end the drought with a Tameka Nugent lay-up at 16:13. Chase would then get her first points of the game on a three-pointer from the wing to give UMES the 8-4 lead. After trading baskets and another two minute long scoring drought the Hawks would get something they were waiting for, a foul called on Delaware State. That did not come until the 9:08 mark when Endea Mathis would pick up the reaching foul during the UMES possession. The foul problem would not get any better as Delaware State would not pick up another foul until 5:43 when Raven Mallard was whistled for a player control foul. Only two more would be called in the half, one on Smith, again a player control, and one on Nugent that sent Aderoju to the free throw line with just 22.9 seconds left. That was their first trip of the game.
DSU led 22-20 at the break with Waller leading the way with ten first half points and Collier with six, all coming in a four minute stretch. The Hawks were led by Kennedy with six coming on a pair of threes. Chase and Aderoju each had five points. To start the second half Smith got DSU on the board early. She hit a runner in the lane and then a pair of free throws after a questionable foul call on Kennedy. That would put DSU up 26-20. A breakaway lay-up by Waller gave them a 28-20 lead and UMES Head Coach Fred Batchelor needed a time out. UMES was still having foul trouble as Daynese Stowe and Kristi Veltkamp were called for player control fouls in the first two minutes. UMES finally got a break collecting two fouls on DSU's Mathis on one trip, resulting in a Veltkamp free throw. The Lady Hawks were down 30-21. Following a media timeout Coach Batchelor rallied the troops but a Griffith turnover led to a Waller lay-in and an `and one' situation. Waller had not missed a shot to this point, was a scorching seven for seven and one for one from the line. The Lady Hornets were on a 13-1 run. UMES collected a pair of free throws from Aderoju to cut it to 35-23. They got a big block from Veltkamp on the defensive end but another player control foul; this time on Cheatham, gave the ball back to DSU. On the other end Waller finally missed a shot but came up hurt and the Lady Hawks turned it into a nice lay-in for Veltkamp from Kennedy, their first field goal in over 11 minutes dating back to the first half. With a delay for the injury UMES regrouped to steal the inbound pass from DSU but turned it over again for the twenty-third time. The turnover translated into another three point play, this time for Najemah Fauntleroy. On the other end Cheatham converted a pair of free throws. On the inbound the Lady Hawks finally drew a DSU offensive foul and they had the ball with 12:20 to play, down 38-27. Ten seconds later Chase buried a trey. Brittany Adkins pulled down a huge rebound on the other end but another turnover would put Collier on the DSU foul line. She would drain both free throws. UMES looked to score but they committed another turnover. They forced a jump-ball but missed a three-pointer to give the ball to DSU. It wasn't a pretty game as the Hornets turned it over themselves, 27 on the game, and a Cheatham open look would go half way down and back out to DSU. A pair of free throws for Delaware State made it a 12 point Hornet advantage with ten minutes to play. Smith made a lay-up on an offensive rebound and Collier nailed a three to give DSU a 47-30 lead with 7:23 to play. After a called UMES timeout Coach Fred Batchelor drew up a play that gave the ball to an open Stowe. She however could not convert the lay-up. The Lady Hawks maintained possession but Kennedy turned it over. Delaware State gave it back on a Fauntleroy travel. After trading possessions, Ashlee Burbage nailed a jumper and DSU was up 49-30. Adkins converted a lay-up for the Lady Hawks but DSU was still up 17. After a Cheatham steal she passed it to Kennedy for a lay-in and UMES had cut it to 15. UMES dug deep and Cheatham scored three points the old fashioned way to cut the DSU lead to 49-37 with four minutes to play. Chase cut the lead to 11 with a pair of free throws after getting a steal, 50-39. The Hawks fouled Collier but she missed a pair of free throws but Smith got the offensive board. Chase would get a break-away lay-up to cut the lead to nine but Collier carried DSU to a 52-41 lead, 11 points with just two minutes to play. UMES was forced to foul with just 1:28 to play but Smith missed both free throws and the Lady Hawks ran it down to a Veltkamp lay-in. That made it 52-43 with 1:19 to play. Kennedy fouled Collier who stepped up in the absence of Waller to drain a pair of free throws and put her team up 54-43 with 1:14 to play. Kennedy was again forced to foul Collier and again the same result, a pair of free throws to make it 56-43. After Veltkamp missed a three-pointer Nugent fouled Adkins and she made one of two. Stealing the inbound she converted a lay-up but it wasn't enough. After fouling several more times UMES couldn't quite mount the comeback, falling 60-46. UMES gets no time off from this string of games as they head to Washington D.C. on Monday night to take on the Lady Bison of Howard University at 6:00 pm. |
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