PRINCESS ANNE, MD – South Carolina State, ahead by one at the half, was outscored 44-30 by Maryland-Eastern Shore in the final 20 minutes in falling 82-69 to the Lady Hawks Saturday at the Hytche Center. The game was the first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference action of the season for the Lady Bulldogs, who dipped to 5-8 overall and 0-1 in the league.
Sophomore Whitney Wiley tossed in 18 points and senior Sophilia Hiipps added 17 and four assists for Coach Doug Robertson's team. Freshman Tiara Knotts came off the bench for nine points and Joi Walker and Tiana Hemphill contributed six each. Wiley was the top rebounder for the Lady Bulldogs with six.
The host Lady Hawks had four players in double figures, led by senior April McBride and redshirt freshman Chelsea Sanders with 19 each. Casey Morton and Chena Parker each added 14 in the victory, which lifted UMES to 3-7 overall and 2-0 in conference play. Sanders added a game-high nine rebounds and McBride seven for the host, which enjoyed a 37-24 edge on the boards.
SC State trailed by as many as seven points in the first before rallying to take a 39-38 edge to the lockerroom. The Lady Bulldogs took a 44-40 lead on a 3-pointer by Wiley with 19:01 to play, however, Robertson's team committed five turnovers on its next trip down court, fueling a 23-10 run by UMES, which put the Lady Hawks ahead 65-54 with 9:19 left.
SC State closed the gap to 61-68 on a runner by Wiley at the 7:48 mark, but UMES scored 10 of the next 12 points to build a 78-63 cushion with 3:28 left. The closest the Lady Bulldogs came after that was the final margin.
The Bulldogs' Robertson said his team played a good first half, but was a little passive after intermission, while also committing some untimely turnovers.
“We didn't match their aggressiveness in t he second half,” said Robertson. “We got passive and also turned the ball over at the wrong time. That hurt us. We shot the ball well from the floor (50 percent) but we must rebound better.
“We executed well at times,” he continued, “But we have to become more aggressive. When a team picks up its intensity, we have to match it. It's as simple as that.”
SC State will conclude its two-game MEAC road swing Monday night in Dover, Delaware when the Lady Bulldogs take on Delaware State in the first game of a doubleheader beginning at 5:30 p.m.
