Box score
PRINCESS ANNE, MD—University of Maryland Eastern Shore went ahead for good with 13 minutes left, later went ahead by as many as six points and finally held on for a 46-42 men's basketball win over visiting NJIT Saturday afternoon in the William P. Hytche Center.
The Hawks, who played NJIT for the first time in men's basketball, got 13 points and 7 rebounds from freshman Keishawn Mayes and 12 points and 7 boards from junior Neal Pitt.
NJIT lost despite the first career double-double for sophomore guard Jheryl Wilson, who posted game-high totals in points (15) and rebounds (10). Wilson's 10 rebounds were a new career high and his 15 points were one shy of his personal standard.
The Highlanders, who held a 21-18 lead at the half, started the second half well, going up 28-20 on Wilson's three-pointer with 17:53 left in the game.
But NJIT, which has been troubled by scoring droughts this season, had a missed shot and two turnovers on its next three possessions. Meanwhile, UMES, which has also struggled to score this season, got points on four straight possessions and pulled to within a point, 28-27, on a Chris Conner trey with 15:48 left.
The Highlanders stayed on top by getting some stops and a pair of free throws by Gary Garris that made it 30-27 with 13:56 remaining.
However, the Hawks, who finished with 19 offensive rebounds, including 11 in the second half, got to within a point on a tip-in by Gary Lee with 13:28 remaining.
Six seconds after the Highlanders missed the front end of a one-and-one foul shooting opportunity, Mayes put his team on top for good, 31-30, with a made jump shot at the 13:03 mark.
With NJIT stuck at 30, Maryland Eastern Shore pushed its lead to 36-30 before Dan Stonkus halted the Highlander dry spell on an old school three-point play with 9:13 to play.
The NJIT field goal drought lasted more than eight minutes, during which Maryland Eastern Shore turned an eight-point deficit into a six-point lead, outscoring the Highlanders, 16-2, between Wilson's three-pointer and Stonkus' three-point play.
Mayes, the bouncy 6-foot-7 freshman, came up big again for his team after Stonkus' play had pulled NJIT to within three at 36-33. Mayes made the first of two free throws with 8:54 left and later grabbed another offensive rebound and fed Jamie Boyer, whose jump shot gave the Hawks a 39-33 lead with 8:33 remaining.
Down by six, NJIT continued to battle, led by Wilson, who scored all but one of his team's remaining eight points.
When Wilson made the second of two free throws with 7:22 remaining, he pulled the Highlanders to within two points of the lead. Then they made a stop on the next possession and Wilson came down with the defensive rebound.
However, a turnover put the ball back in UMES hands. Still, the Highlanders dug in playing tight defense and forcing the shot clock to the limit.
With the shot clock about to hit zero, sophomore guard Josh Bright launched what looked like a desperate NBA-distance three-pointer from straight on, When the shot went in it put the home team back ahead by five. It was Bright's only basket and it was the kind of play that makes a difference in a game like Saturday's.
NJIT pulled back to within two points of the lead twice more—on a three-point shot by Wilson with 3:59 left and a free throw by Gary Garris at 2:06—but the Highlanders couldn't get any closer.
Looking at the first-half specialty stats, the Highlanders had a slight 6-4 scoring advantage in the paint, a 7-3 edge in points-off-turnovers and a 4-2 margin in bench scoring. The first-half team rebounding was 18-15 for UMES.
The second half was another story, however. The paint scoring was still close, but the Hawks outscored the Highlanders in points-off-turnovers, 13-4, and the second-chance points showed UMES with a 12-2 lead. The home team's bench players also outscored NJIT's reserves 8-0 over the final 20 minutes. And UMES won the second-half battle on the boards, 22-13, including the 11 offensive rebounds that helped generate the 12-2 second-chance points edge for the Hawks.
Pitt, a 6-6 junior who came in as Maryland Eastern Shore's top scorer and rebounder with per game averages of 15.2 points and 8.2 rebounds, had a quiet first half (3 points—all at the foul line). But he scored nine second-half points, supported by six from Mayes, to pace the comeback win .
NJIT will wrap up its first semester play this week before taking a break from competition to accommodate final exams.
The Highlanders will visit St. John's for a 7:30 pm game Monday night in the first of two games this season for NJIT against teams from the Big East Conference. It will be NJIT's second all-time game vs. St. John's. On December 21, 2006, NJIT played at St. John's and lost, 68-50.
The Highlanders will close first semester play on Wednesday in a 7 pm home game against Saint Peter's in the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.
NJIT is due for another shot at UMES on January 28, 2009, when the Highlanders host the Hawks in the Prudential Center.
