Feb. 4, 2004
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The Game
The UMES Lady Hawks try to snap a two-game losing streak with a non-conference home game against the American University Eagles Wednesday. The game tips off at 7:00 from the Hytche Center.
The Lady Hawks are now 5-12 (2-8 MEAC) in 2003-04 following a nine-point loss to Bethune-Cookman Monday. In spite of the poor conference record, all eight of the team's MEAC losses have come by 9 points or fewer. The Eagles, members of the Patriot conference, come into the game winners of five of their last seven contests.
News and Notes
After a slow start to the season, UMES guard Laconia Hatcher has caught fire. Hatcher was named MEAC Player of the Week last week, after averaging 15.2 points per game, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in four games. The junior college-transfer, who failed to score double-figures in any of the first five games, has scored in double-figures in 11 of the team's 12 games since, and is now the second-leading scorer at 12.1 ppg....Tiffany Winkfield, who recorded nine double-double's in UMES' first 14 games, has played only 17 minutes combined in the last two and had only 8 points and 8 rebounds. The senior is still leading the team with both 14.1 ppg and 10.5 rpg....The Lady Hawks have been a second-half team in '03-'04. Despite the team's losing record, UMES has out-scored its opponents 586-583 in the second half this season.
WILD Second Half
For the second time this season, the Lady Hawks (5-12, 2-8 MEAC) lost an 11-point second half lead to a furious comeback, this time by Bethune-Cookman (9-8, 6-3 MEAC) and fell at home 70-61. UMES led 51-40 with 10:32 left, but the Lady Wildcats outscored them 30-10 down the stretch to pull out the road victory.
The Lady Hawks led 36-27 at halftime, then extended the lead to 11 on a Tekeya Gooden lay-up midway through the second half. That's when preseason MEAC second-team selection Katie Clark took control for Bethune. After starting 4-21 from the field, Clark made 4-5 shots down the stretch, including a three-ball tied the game at 57 with just 3:04 to play and three straight jumpers in the final two minutes that helped the Lady Wildcats pull away.
Clark finished 8-26 from the field and 5-9 from the foul line, scoring a game-high 23 points. UMES placed four players in double figures with LaToshia Bailey, Laconia Hatcher, and Octavia Thompson each netting 12 points while Erica Bennett added 11.
UMES Hawks (5-12, 2-8)
Previous games:
Date Game Result
11/15 NWBL Elite (ex) W 102-97
11/21 at Memphis L 63-89
11/23 at Ark-Pine Bluff W 77-60
11/28 vs. Louis.-Laf.# W 60-57
11/29 at Maryland# L 65-97
12/3 at St. Francis L 48-56
12/20 at Towson L 67-92
1/3 Delaware State* L 50-52
1/5 Howard* L 74-79
1/10 at N.C. A&T* L 61-68
1/12 at S. Carolina St* L 68-75
1/17 at Norfolk State* W 72-63
1/19 at Hampton* L 59-60
1/24 Coppin State* L 55-63
1/27 Morgan State* W 95-57
1/29 at Savannah St. W 65-57
1/31 at Florida A&M* L 60-63
2/2 Bethune-Cook.* L 61-70
Upcoming schedule:
Date Game Time
2/4 American 7:00
2/7 at Delaware St.* 2:00
2/9 at Howard* 6:00
2/12 Savannah State 5:30
2/14 N.C. A&T* 2:00
2/16 S. Carolina St.* 5:30
2/21 Norfolk State* 2:00
2/23 Hampton* 5:30
2/28 at Coppin State* 5:30
3/1 at Morgan State* 5:30
3/8-12 MEAC Tourn. TBA (Richmond, VA)
*Denotes MEAC conference game
# at Terrapin Classic, UMCP
Surina Dixon- Head Coach
Surina Dixon is in her fourth season as head coach for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore's Lady Hawks basketball team. Her teams have compiled a 34-69 overall record (.331 win pct.) to date, after starting 5-12 and having earned 12 victories in each of the past two seasons (after only five in 2000-01).
Prior to her arrival at UMES, Coach Dixon served as head assistant coach at Arkansas State University, where she helped guide the Lady Indians to their first ever Top 25 national ranking. Coach Dixon was also an assistant at Texas Southern University.
Before collegiate athletics, Coach Dixon coached for ten seasons in Memphis, Tennessee at Germantown Middle School. There Dixon won eight district and six county championships, had five undefeated seasons, and compiled an overall record of 165-29.
While transitioning to the college ranks, Dixon had an opportunity to both play and coach two seasons of professional basketball with the WBA's Memphis Blues. She has also worked as a coach and instructor at various camps, including the 2000 WNBA Houston Comets' training camp.
At Rosedale High School in Rosedale, Miss., Dixon captained both the basketball and track teams. She then played at Mississippi Valley State University, where she graduated in 1983. Dixon later obtained her Master's degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Mississippi.
Assistant Coach
Destiney Avent- Assistant Coach
Destiney Avent is in her first season as an assistant coach at UMES. She has returned to her alma mater ('02) after spending one season as the head women's basketball coach at Montgomery Community College.
Avent played for two seasons at UMES. In 2002, she was named the UMES female student-athlete of the year, as well as team MVP. Before that, Avent played two seasons at Tallahassee Community College.
MEAC 2003-04 Preseason Predicted Order of Finish
Rk School Pts
1. Hampton (13) 413
2. Delaware St. (5) 385
3. Florida A&M 339
4. Bethune-Cook. 283
5. Howard (1) 261
6. MD East. Shore 203
7. S. Carolina St. 188
8. Coppin State 177
9. Norfolk State 143
10. N. Carolina A&T 119
11. Morgan State 33
(first-place votes in parenthesis)
All-MEAC First Team
G Yolanda Dixon, FAMU
G Mandy Clark, Delaware St.
F Lynetta Sullivan, Hampton
F LaKesha Wills, Coppin St.
C Kim Watson, FAMU
Second Team
G Terrell Waller, Delaware St.
G Katie Clark, Bethune-Cook.
F Tiffany Winkfield, UMES
F Lauren Forsthoff, Bethune-Cook
C Nicole Brathwaite, Hampton
-As selected in a preseason vote of MEAC coaches and Sports Information Directors
