ATHLETICS

Hawks take down No. 1 Wildcats in MEAC Tourney

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore women’s basketball team saw its 2019-20 season end without the benefit of logical conclusion due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Hawks (10-21) did pick up one of the program’s most memorable victories — a 61-55 upset of No. 1 seeded BethuneCookman in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament — before the unceremonious termination.

After a rough start to the year, Eastern Shore won its last three games of the regular season, topped Coppin State in the opening round and the win against the Wildcats in the second round made it five straight. It was the longest win streak of the year for a team that found itself peaking right when head coach Fred Batchelor had hoped.

The stretch play of senior Adrienne Jones was the perfect complement to the blossoming of junior Amanda Carney into a consistent offensive weapon and the emergence of freshman Mya Thomas into the starting point guard role. Junior Bairesha Gill-Miles saved her best game for last pulling down a gamehigh 14 rebounds against Bethune.

The future looks bright for the Hawks as Batchelor and staff added a strong recruiting class to a group who’s lost four seniors from this year’s run.

Bowling season destined to be remembered as what might have been

The Hawks bowling squad featured a pair of seniors in Cayla Hicks and Brigitte Jacobs who had grown into the mature leaders every coach dreams of. Fresh off a trip to the NCAA Semifinals in 201819, The Shore entered the season as a favorite to win the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and perhaps — if everything fell into place — contend for the school’s fourth NCAA Bowling Championship.

An abrupt end to the season due to the Coronavirus saw all Spring Championships cancelled by the NCAA. Eastern Shore (84-29, 24-0 MEAC) didn’t even get a chance to defend its conference crown after having plowed through the regular season without dropping a single match in MEAC play.

The team finished the season ranked No. 1 in the country with a 74.3% winning percentage and was voted No. 6. in the final National Tenpin Coach’s Association poll of the season.

A bounty of individual awards did not make up for the lost chance to compete, but provided more legitimacy to the great — if unfinished — season.