Maryland Eastern Shore hoops comeback falls short in home opener

PRINCESS ANNE, Md.- Down 12 points with just over 40 seconds to go, Maryland Eastern Shore looked to be out of it in their home opener against Longwood.

But thanks to a few intentional and technical fouls, a handful of free throws brought it closer. Then, after a three, UMES found themselves within a few possessions. But after trading fouls, free throws and buckets, the comeback bid ended up falling short, 66-63 to Longwood Tuesday night.

The Shore was led by big man AJ Cheeseman, who finished with a team-high 17 points and five boards. Bryan Urrutia had a tough day from the field, failing to make a shot, but dished out 10 assists in the losing effort.

For Longwood, they were led by Isaiah Walton who finished with a game-high 20 points along with seven rebounds.

Next up on the slate for the Hawks is a trip to Denton, Texas for a matchup with North Texas. It’s a homecoming of sort for the Mean Green’s assistant coach Jareem Dowling, who played for Maryland Eastern Shore in the early 2000’s. North Texas also features former Bayside and James M. Bennett star Jorden Duffy.