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March 10, 2005
Richmond, VA - The number five seed Lady Hawks of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) Women's Basketball took on the Howard University (HU) Lady Bison who was seeded fourth. UMES couldn't pull off the upset, falling in the game 54-42. Kristi Veltkamp led all players with 12 points while puling down five points. Erica Bennett, in her final game as a Lady Hawk dropped seven points and snatched seven boards. Jamila Griffith led all rebounders with 13. It was the final game for seniors Bennett and Chikwue Okaro. Howard likes to play an up-tempo game and UMES obliged, forcing the Bison to take several quick shots. None of them fell. It was over two minutes before Andrea Jones got an offensive put-back to take a 2-0 HU lead. It was over three minutes in when UMES missed two good looks and the score was still 2-0, now four minutes in. The Lady Hawks went to the first media timeout without a basket. At the 15:11 mark Qiana Cheatham got on the board with a three-pointer at UMES had their first lead, 3-2. Sherri Johnson tied the game making the back end of two free throws to tie the score just 15 seconds later. Ebony Lacey got a lay-in six minutes in to give Howard the 5-2 lead. Kolade Aderoju then knocked the Howard ball away to Ashley Chase, Chase found the streaking Aderoju and she converted a nice pass to tie it again at five. It was seven minutes in and only ten points had been scored. Howard got a lay-up from Sequoya Moore after a Daynese Stowe turnover and then HU forced a jump ball to get it right back. A minute later a technical foul for a bookkeeping error cost the Hawks two more points.
Howard got another lay-up and UMES was down 11-5 with 10:42 to play. Chase then knocked down a fade-away jumper but HU's Moore hit a floater in the lane and the scoring was picking up. Veltkamp was fouled in the paint on the other end and converted one of two. It was 13-8 Howard at the 9:32 mark. Three seconds later Veltkamp wedged the ball between the glass and iron but was fouled and drained the first to make it a 13-9 game. Brittany James then drained a jumper but Toni Kennedy had an answer a long three that swirled around the rim cut it to a 15-12 Bison lead. Simonne Agee answered back again and the two teams were scoring at a feverish pace, making up for lost time. Griffith cut the lead to three, 17-14 with eight minutes to play. After a great defensive stop with Bennett pulling down a rebound the Hawks looked to score. A Howard deflection stopped the clock for a media timeout at the 7:04 mark and UMES resumed play. Griffith had her shot blocked and Daisha Hicks converted a pull-up jumper to extend the lead to five. Agee then converted a Chase turnover, the 13th of the game, into two more points and Howard had a 21-14 lead. Veltkamp converted a high arching lay-up and then a solid defensive play turned into two free throws for Bennett. She got them both. It was 21-18 Howard, now with just under four minutes to play. A loose ball foul gave Hicks a one and one but she missed and UMES had the ball. Chase turned it over and James nailed another three. Chase made up for it as she nailed a step-back three with the shot clock expiring and it was a three-point game again, 24-21 with 2:10 to play in the half. Hicks again drained a jumper and then James stole the inbound and converted a lay-in and got fouled. She made the free throw and it was a five point swing and an eight point lead, Howard's biggest of the game, 29-21. Sherri Johnson got another jumper and it was a ten point game. Aderoju went to the basket and got fouled, making one of two, the lead was nine with just 1:01 to play. The Lady Hawks turned up the defensive forcing a bad shot as the shot clock wound down but Hicks was fouled on the rebound and made the second of two free throws, running the lead back to ten, 32-22 with thirty seconds to play. An errand pass by UMES on the ensuing possession was the Lady Hawk's 18th of the half and Head Coach Fred Batchelor could do nothing but hold his head. Time expired on a missed Howard jumper and UMES headed to the locker room to regroup. To start the second half UMES forced a turnover by Hicks but on the ensuing end were called for a three-second violation. They got it back and went to Veltkamp who made the reverse lay-in. It was an eight point lead. Howard made their third turnover in a row on a travel. They only had committed four the entire first half. A missed lay-in gave it back to Howard but Bennett took it away and was fouled going to the rack. She made the second of two and it was 32-25 HU. Howard, going the other way then made their fifth straight turnover and Cheatham made them pay with a long two, it was a 5-0 Hawk run. Maybe it was the half of the floor because Hicks lost her dribble again and the sixth turnover gave the Hawks another chance. They missed the shot but on the other end Veltkamp blocked a shot and UMES had another go. Griffith missed a shot and Howard took a jumper. It was missed and Howard's Sherri Johnson fouled Griffith on the rebound. The Lady Hawks would try again. Another miss. Then Howard found the basket. A three and a lay-up extended the HU lead back to ten. It was 37-27 at the first media break, 14:47. "Coach Parson did a great job rotating her players," said Batchelor. "They were fresh constantly. In one situation was when we started the second half and they made six straight turnovers. Coach pulled them out for five new players who were not only more rested, but brought a lot of energy and got them back in their game." One of those players was Courtney Smiley, who took the ball one minute after resuming the play and hit a floater and got fouled. She missed the free throw but it was the Bison's largest lead, 12. Chase went the length of the court but missed another shot, their ninth of the half. After a pair of Bison free throws UMES missed another lay-up and Howard tried to drive the proverbial nail in the coffin with a three by Hicks. It was 44-27, not only Howard's biggest lead, but a 12-0 run. Veltkamp ended the run by sinking a pair of free throws at 12:08. The HU lead was still 15. UMES got another break when Aderoju forced a jump ball just 45 seconds later. They couldn't convert. UMES at the time was just 9-34 from the field. After a defensive stop Kennedy hit her second three of the game and cut the Bison lead to 12, 44-32 at 10:18. There was still plenty of time for the Lady Hawks. Veltkamp made two big blocks and then ran the outlet for a lay-up and the lead was back to ten. Aderoju took the ball away in the Howard front court and passed inside to Brittany Adkins. She made a jumper and the trio of freshmen were working their magic again. It was an eight point lead, 44-36 and Howard Head Coach Cathy Parsons had to call a time-out. After the time-out a missed jumper was pulled down by Adkins but a tie-up gave the possession to HU. Adkins got another big board and UMES went back to work. Chase missed a three that would have cut it to three. On the other end Agee made a pair of free throws to put it back to ten. There was 8:28 to play. Howard forced a turnover and went back to work. Veltkamp had none of it. She made two blocks and they turned into a Bennett jumper. On the inbound Aderoju was knocked over and UMES got it right back. Kennedy missed a floater and Howard came up with it. After another stand Bennett went around her defender and handed it off to Veltkamp who was fouled and missed both free throws. Howard had the ball but Toni Kennedy took the ball away, had it in her hands and then was called for a foul. After Howard got it back Hicks fell down with the ball and was granted a time-out, saving the ball for them. Jones went to the line on a foul making both and now it was a ten point game again, 48-38 with 5:20 to play. After forcing a miss from the Lady Bison Kennedy picked up the ball and ran it ahead to Bennett who converted a lay-in. The Hawks forced another bad shot but an easy lay-up by Veltkamp wouldn't fall and Howard went the other way up eight, 48-40 with 3:31 to play. After resuming from a time-out Veltkamp pulled down an errand shot and was fouled. She headed to the line trying to cut it to a two possession game. She got them both. It was a 48-42 game with three to play. The Hawk's defense forced a shot clock violation with 2:15 to play and was looking to cut it to three or four. A Kennedy pump fake and jumper wouldn't fall. But the Lady Hawks didn't quit. They got it back with no damage done and 1:40 to play. Coach Batchelor called a time-out to set up a play and stress the importance of the situation to his young team. It must not have been received as Chase took a floater that didn't draw rim and then fouled the rebounder, Johnson. She made one and UMES looked to score down 49-22. They couldn't. Jones made one to lead 50-42. She went to the line again after a missed lay-up by Griffith. She made both and Howard led UMES 52-42. They got two more free throws and UMES missed three lay-ups and allowed time to expire, falling 54-42. Their season ends at 12-16 with a disappointed Fred Batchelor speaking at the press conference. "I have to give Howard credit. I thought Howard set the tone for the game. They were very aggressive. We didn't match their aggressiveness in the first half, we did a much better job in the second half. They have a leader who makes big plays and their other players stepped up. They are very talented and they set the tone offensively and defensively, especially on the glass," said Batchelor. The Lady Hawks were beaten in most statistical categories. Points in the paint, points off of turnovers, second chance points and bench points were all won by Howard. UMES defeated Howard in fast break points 8-0, but were outrebounded 51-47 and committed 29 turnovers to HU's 16. That was the difference. The shocking stat was that Howard shot a measly 23.6 percent from the field, shooting below the Hawk's 28.6 percent. That five percent difference still defeated UMES. Howard was led by Hicks with 12 points and Agee with eight. Jones pulled down nine boards to lead the Lady Bison. "This tournament is a learning experience for myself and these young ladies. We have a young staff and a lot of young players. There is no better teacher than experience. Learning how to play and be successful in the MEAC is one thing, but the tournament is another. We have to be prepared and take this into next season, added Batchelor." |
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