Dover, Del. (Feb. 28, 2015) --- Delaware State hit just eight-of-30 second half shots (26.7%) in a 69-65 men's basketball loss to Maryland-Eastern Shore in Memorial Hall today. The Hornets have lost two straight and three of their last four games to fall to 13-16 overall and 7-7 in the MEAC.
The Hawks won their third in a row to improve to 17-13 and 10-5. UMES, picked 11th in the preseason MEAC poll, was third in the league standings entering today's game.
The Hawks also avenged a 91-85 home loss to the Hornets on Feb. 14. The teams have split their last 12 games.
Michael Myers led three UMES players in double-figures with 20 points. Myers was six-for-eight from the field and eight-of-10 at the free throw line. Devin Martin recorded a double-double for the Hawks, tallying 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Amere May was the leading scorer for the Hornets with a game-high 26 points. May, the MEAC's leading scorer this season, has surpassed the 20-point mark in each of the last six games, tallying 165 points in those contests (27.5 ppg). He was five-for-eight on three-point shots, extending his streak to 22 straight games with a least one three-pointer. May also has reached double-figures in scoring in each of the last 19 games.
Hornet center Kendall Gray had 11 rebounds and tied the school record for the fourth time with eight blocks in the game. Gray has 79 blocks this season, two shy of his school record 81 during the 2013-14 season.
Delaware State and UMES each shot 51.6% in the first half, but the Hornets trailed 41-40 at the break. There were eight ties and 14 lead changes in the first half.
May had 16 first-half points, highlighted by four three-point field goals; and Kendal Williams tallied 13 points (three three-pointers) in the first 20 minutes for the Hornets.
DSU trailed 47-42 before rallying to open up its biggest lead of the game.
Tyshawn Bell capped off a 14-4 run with two free throws to give the Hornets a 56-51 lead with 8:52 left to play. Bell had three three-pointers and 11 points, while May knocked down a three-ball during the spurt. Bell was second on the Hornets with 17 points to surpass the 1,100-point mark at DSU (1,107).
UMES responded by scoring the next nine points to regain the lead. Travis Trim gave the Hawks a 60-56 lead on a tip-in at the 6:04 mark of the second half.
The score was 61-61, the 12th tie in the game, when Devin Martin nailed a three-pointer with 2:23 left to give UMES the lead for good.
Delaware State missed its next three shots before Devon Walker hit two free throws with 33 seconds remaining to put the Hawks ahead 66-61. UMES hit five-of-six free throws in the final minute to seal the win.
The Hornets hit 12 three-pointers in the game (12-26) to just three for the Hawks (3-16), but UMES held an 18-5 edge at the foul line.
Delaware State will play its final home game of the season on Monday against Hampton. The Senior Day contest is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.
STINGERS
Gray also had eight blocks vs. Wagner in 2012, at North Carolina A&T in 2014; and against Wake Forest earlier this season … The Hornets have lost three of their last four home games after winning four of the first six ... DSU has hit 31-of-62 first half shots (.500), but just 21-of-67 (.313) in the second half of its last two games.
