ROUGH FIRST HALF DOOMS HAWKS, FALL IN MEAC QUARTERS TO HAMPTON, 65-41 G. STAN BRADLEY 03/10/10 The storied career of April McBride comes to an end in North Carolina. WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.-Fourteen turnovers and 14 missed shots got the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) Lady Hawks down 20 in the first half and they were unable to recover, falling to second-seeded Hampton University in the quarterfinals of the 2010 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament, 65-41. UMES shot just 17.6 percent in the first half, their worst output for a half this season and made just three field goals, while their opponent shot 36.4 p ercent, including four three- pointers. The game was rough from the tip as the officials let the two teams battle it out, calling just 10 total fouls in the first frame. Hampton was able to play through it, banging on the inside, getting 12 points in the paint and 22 rebounds, nine on the offensive end. Those rebounds led to 16 second chance points for the Lady Pirates. UMES managed just 13 rebounds in the frame and only one on the offensive end, they had no second chance points. Head Coach Fred Batchelor tried many lineups, playing 11 players in the first half, never really finding the right combination. On the other end of the court, Hampton didn't need many substitutes, getting 13 points from Melanie Warner in the half to go along with six boards. She would finish with 22 points and 10 rebounds. MEAC Defensive Player of the Year Quanneisha Perry added six points and seven boards at the break. She tallied 18 points and 13 rebounds on the day. "Hampton played well," said Batchelor. "They were aggressive and executed well. They were especially aggressive on the glass and exploited our inability to block out. We started slow and kept hoping things would go our way but they never did." The Lady Hawks had just three players in the scoring column in the first half, April McBride (New Rochelle, N.Y.) and Bria Jackson (Rochester, N.Y.) each had four while Casey Morton (Mardela Springs, Md.) added one three-pointer. They would finish with four, six, and five respectively. McBride, playing with an injured shooting hand would only tally 15 total minutes, her lowest of the season, 10 of those coming in the first half. "Personally, my hand bothered me but as a team we just couldn't get going and we didn't build any confidence on the offensive end," said McBride. "When they keep getting second and third chances it seemed like they are coming from every direction to get rebounds, it's just hard to get going." "I appreciate that she wet out and tried to play," said Batchelor referring to McBride. "She went out knowing she couldn't play but she went out anyway and played 15 hard minutes. She would have played 40 if we put her out there that long and gave us everything she had. April just wasn't herself today, but, that's no excuse, we couldn't respond." The Lady Hawks came out running in the second half, drawing contact and getting to the line. However, the lid on the basket to the left of the team in the first half, seemed to be moved to the basket in front of their bench for the second half, as foul shots seemed to be the only thing that would fall. Adobi Agbasi (Columbus, Ga.) would get hot in the second frame to help the Hawks. She added 14 points and was the only player in double figures for the maroon and grey. UMES would cut the lead down to 18 at the 19:51 mark on a Chena Parker (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) free throw, but get no closer. Hampton meanwhile continued their hot shooting with Warner, Perry and Bernadette Fortune leading the way. Fortune tallied seven for the game. They led by as many as 29. UMES ends their season at 12-16, the sixth double digit win campaign for Batchelor since he came to UMES six years ago. The game also marks the end of the careers of Talareah Frazier and McBride. McBride will go into the record books as one of the greatest players in UMES Women's Basketball history. She finishes her career with 1,698 points and 949 rebounds, the second most points in school history. "When I came to UMES I wasn't ready yet, I was a baby, but Coach Batchelor, the staff, UMES as a whole has made me ready to go out in the world and concur anything," an emotional McBride said. "I found who I am spiritually," said Frazier. "I always worked hard so I was ready for an opportunity when it came my way, I'm ready to head into the real world thanks to my time at UMES." "These two young ladies are special," said Batchelor referring to Frazier and McBride. "No one has ever out worked them. This may be the end of their careers but I know they will be even more successful in life than they were on the court. We got everything out of them every day and they are an example of what a UMES Women's Basketball player should be."